Desire
by Shadowcat4
Summary: Kitty's pretty happy with her life, and everything in it. But then she finds herself alone, and unsure of who to turn to. And she has a lot of choices... Kurtty, (a hint of) Lancitty, Jott, Romy, and more. Rated for later chapters. R&R, please!
1. At the Beginning

NOTES: To fit my ideas, I had to change a few things from the series. Not a lot, just a few things. First, knowledge of mutants is still not out (which means the whole Apocolypse thing hasn't happened yet, and probably won't in my story). Gambit is part of the X-Men, and Rogue has her strength and flying powers. No one has met Colossus yet. Also, I'm not very good at writing accents. You know that Remy, Rogue, Kurt and Piotr have accents. I'm going to type "normal", and I'll have to ask you to use you imagination when reading it. Also, I don't know where to throw in the random French and German for Remy and Kurt, so while reading if you think, "Hey, there ought to be a 'mon ami' or whatever right there", feel free to mentally add it in. :) If I think of anything else, I'll let you guys know later.  
  
DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of these characters, and I'm not associated in any way, shape, or form with Marvel or anyone else related to X-Men Evolution.  
  
Chapter One  
  
Kitty shut her locker and made her way out to the parking lot. School was almost over for the year! Just a few more months, and she'd finally graduate. She sighed happily to herself. She was the last one in the Institute to graduate from high school. There were a bunch of kids there when she was a freshman who were her age, but they all had gone back home by junior year. Of course, Kurt was still around when she was a junior. She smiled at the thought of Kurt, and couldn't wait to get back to the institute and see him.  
"Kitty! Wait up!" a voice called. Kitty stopped and turned, and saw one of her friends, Helena, running towards her.  
"Hey, what's the rush?" Kitty asked.  
"No rush," Helena said pleasantly. "Just haven't seen you all day, that's all."  
Helena was...normal. As in, not a mutant. And she didn't know that Kitty was. They had a few classes together their junior year, but this year, senior year, the only time they ever saw each other was at lunch. Kitty wasn't there today, though, because she was doing research in the library.  
"Well, I'd love to, like, hang out with you," Kitty said. "But I've got so much homework. Who knew being a senior was so much work?"  
"Didn't your old roommates warn you?" Helena asked.  
"Yeah, but I figured they were just, like, exaggerating," Kitty explained.  
The reached Kitty's car, and she fished through her purse for her keys. She smiled at the memory of getting her license. Everyone was afraid of her then. Scott, Jean, Logan and the professor all tried to teach her. She failed her test three time before she finally got her license. It took almost a year for anyone to work up the nerve to be in the car with her after that.  
"What do you have in there, anyway?" Helena asked, nodding at Kitty's overflowing purse.  
"Ugh, I don't even know," Kitty answered. "I guess I'll, like, have to clean it out later." She continued digging, but kept coming up empty. She wondered for a minute if she somehow left them in her locker...  
Something blinded her. The sun was hitting something, and the reflection went right into her eyes. Kitty pulled out her sunglasses (which she had no problem finding), and looked in the direction the light had come from.  
Kitty groaned loudly.  
"What?" Helena asked. Kitty tugged on the car door handle, then groaned again.  
"I locked my keys in my car," she said.  
"Uh-oh," Helena said, cringing. "What are you going to do?"  
"Call Scott," Kitty said. "Kurt has a spare copy of my car keys, and he's, like, in class now, so I'm just going to tell Scott where he keeps it and beg him to bring it to me."  
"Take a while?"  
"Yeah, Scott's been, like, totally stressed lately, so it'll probably take a while for him to find the keys."  
"Gotcha," Helena said. "I'll go catch a ride with someone else. I'll call you later."  
"Bye," Kitty said, and Helena walked off. Kitty felt a little pang of guilt for lying about the spare keys, but she tried to make herself feel better my telling herself that Kurt being in class was true.  
Kitty looked around. No one was there. She phased her arm in through the door and grabbed her keys. She thought about phasing through the door altogether, but she figured it was just too risky. She unlocked her car, got in, and drove home, anxious to get started on her homework, then later seeing Kurt.  
  
Rogue heard doors slamming, and she looked up from her canvas at the clock. It was almost 3:30. Kitty was already home from school, Scott didn't have classes today, and Kurt wouldn't be home until much later. Remy, Logan and the professor were already there, so that meant it had to be Jean coming home from her oh-so-busy day at Columbia. Rogue rolled her eyes. She and Jean got along a lot better now than when they'd first met, but Rogue wasn't all the impressed with her.  
Rogue wiped her paint covered hands on a towel and pulled her gloves back on. She flew out of the room and to the kitchen. Jean and Scott were in there, making out.  
"Get a room," Rogue said , brushing past them. Jean and Scott quickly sprung apart like junior high kids.  
"Sorry, Rogue," Jean said. "I didn't hear you come in. I'm still not used to those flying powers you've got."  
Rogue shrugged, not wanting to discuss her encounter with Miss Marvel.  
"How's your painting coming?" Scott asked her.  
"Fine," Rogue answered shortly. She opened the fridge and pulled out a diet Coke. Scott shifted his weight. He still looked guilty from being caught making out with his girlfriend. Rogue never understood why he was always embarrassed about that. They'd been together for about three years. No one was that naive.  
"Have y'all seen Remy around?" she asked.  
"Yeah, I saw him a few minutes ago," Scott said. "He was going to the Danger Room to run through some sessions with Logan."  
"God help him," Rogue mumbled. She decided to leave him alone with his training, although she really wanted to see him. Of course, she'd never admit that to anyone, although everyone knew. She decided to go lay down for a little while.  
"I'll leave you two alone," Rogue said. She flashed them a small grin to show no hard feelings, and left the kitchen.  
Rogue passed Kitty on the stairs.  
"Where're you off to in such a hurry?" Rogue asked.  
"Kurt got out of school early," Kitty said excitedly. "And his car, like, won't start or anything, so I'm going to get him."  
"Well, don't keep him out too late," Rogue said. "Both of you have school tomorrow."  
"Rogue, you're his sister, not his mother," Kitty reminded her. And with that, she was gone. 


	2. Love and Guilt

Chapter Two  
  
Lance pushed his biology book away. What was the point? He wasn't interested in school. He never was. That's why he was taking his senior year for the third time. Pietro, Todd and Fred had the right idea, taking off and joining Magneto. They tried to talk Lance into coming with them. But no, he didn't listen.  
And all because of her.  
She was special. Everyone who knew her liked her. Even the other guys in the Brotherhood couldn't deny the fact that she was beautiful and sweet. She never bothered them like the rest of the X-Geeks. She only got on Lance's case. And as much as he hated to admit it, she did it only because she cared, and he loved that she cared.  
What a joke.  
The minute things went a little bad, Kitty bailed on him. When he needed her the most, she ran off. And into the arms of Kurt Wagner, of all people. What did he have that was so great? The guy wasn't even a real person; he was a blue furball.  
It'd been a year and a half since Kitty left him. The guys in the Brotherhood were taking off, he was in way over his head with school, and he had way too many other problems going on. He needed her support. But she didn't agree with his "job". She didn't feel that selling drugs was an honest living. And to be perfectly honest, neither did he. But he needed money. And he couldn't exactly ask Kitty to borrow some. He already owed her too much.  
So she left him. From what he heard, she was pretty devastated about the break up as he was. At first, Lance thought that was great news, because then she might come back to him. But that blue freak got to her first. He always knew Kurt had some little crush on Kitty. Amanda Sefton was just a diversion. And once Amanda's family moved away, and Lance was out of the picture, Kurt had Kitty all to himself. And she wanted him, too.  
But what killed Lance the most was, he still loved her.  
She was the reason he didn't drop out when the rest of the Brotherhood did. She was the reason that as much as he hated it, he went back to school every year, hoping that maybe that would be the year he'd graduate. He woke up every morning praying that she'd call him or approach him in school and tell him that she and Kurt broke up.  
It never happened, though. And he didn't expect it to.  
He was glad that she was happy. She deserved to be happy. But he couldn't help being depressed over losing her. How do you get over losing the only important thing in your life?  
Lance sighed. He pulled his biology book back towards him and opened it up. Maybe getting a grade higher than a D would at least impress her...  
  
"Shh!" Kitty hissed, giggling. She and Kurt had just gotten back to the mansion, and it was a lot later than they'd intended to stay out. Once Kitty picked Kurt up, he insisted on taking her to dinner and a movie. She was happy to take him up on his offer, and they made a deal that she'd pay for their next date. After dinner, they had an hour and a half to kill before the movie, so they went for a walk and window shopped.  
Now it was late. Kitty hadn't turned 18 just yet, so she still had a curfew. And even though Kurt was 19, they knew the professor wouldn't approve of Kitty's being out so late on a school night.  
"What do you think would, like, be quieter, phasing or teleporting?" Kitty asked. They were standing on the front steps outside, trying to figure out how to get in without waking everyone.  
"Teleport," Kurt said. "No one will even know."  
"Well, then go!" Kitty smiled. Kurt smiled back, grabbed her hand, and before she knew it, they were in Kurt's room.  
"Now that I have you alone," Kurt said with an evil grin. He grabbed her waist and kissed her.  
"What do you mean, now?" Kitty asked between pecks. "We were, like, alone all night."  
"Not exactly, Katzchen," Kurt said. "We were surrounded by strangers. But now, we are actually alone." He kissed her again. He still couldn't believe how incredible it was to kiss her. Nothing like kissing Amanda. This was a completely different experience.  
"I really need to get to bed," Kitty said when they finally came up for air.  
"Stay with me tonight."  
"As much as I would love to, Kurt, I really don't think that's a good idea. I mean, remember last time we tried that? Rogue walked in on us in the morning and was, like, totally freaked out. And it's not like we did anything other than sleep."  
"Well, maybe this time we can..."  
"Don't tempt me," Kitty grinned. She kissed Kurt on the forehead. "Someday, we'll be all alone, just us."  
"That will be a great day," Kurt said. Kitty smiled once more, and then phased through the wall, into her room.  
Kurt collapsed on his bed. After a year and a half, he still couldn't believe how lucky he was. He'd liked her from the day he met her. But she was completely wrapped up in Lance Alvers. Soon after he met Amanda, and then they were both distracted. But Amanda moved, and soon after Lance got himself into some kind of trouble. Kurt didn't know what, though. Kitty refused to discuss it. He guessed whatever it was, it was something bad, something that really hurt Kitty. And while he hated Lance for hurting her, he couldn't help but be grateful at the same time. If it wasn't for that, Kitty may never have seen Kurt in that new light.  
Kurt was suddenly overcome with the feeling of guilt. He tried to push it away, but he knew he couldn't. He'd been trying to get rid of that feeling for a week now, and he knew it wasn't going anywhere. He had to tell Kitty. She'd find out soon, anyway. It would be best if he just told her. That was the whole purpose of their date that night, was so Kurt could tell her. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. He couldn't stand to see her hurt. When she and Lance broke up, it killed him to see those tears in her eyes. He couldn't live with himself if he was the one responsible for making them come back.  
He couldn't sleep. Too much was going through his head. He had to talk to Kitty. But not now. It was too late to tell her tonight. But it had to be soon.  
I wonder if Rogue's awake, he thought to himself. He teleported to her bedroom door and knocked. No answer. He thought for a moment, then snapped his fingers and teleported to Rogue's "studio", which was really just a room in the mansion no one uses. Sure enough, she was there. And she gasped at her brother's sudden entrance.  
"God, Kurt, you scared the hell out of me," she said.  
"Sorry," he said. "Are you busy?"  
"Nah, I can take a break," Rogue said. She dropped her paint brush in a cup on water to let it soak.  
"Whoa, you painted that?" Kurt asked. He knew Rogue had taken up art, but he never knew how good she was. She was painting a self portrait, and if Kurt hadn't known better, he would have sworn it was a blow-up photo.  
"Yep, it's taking me forever, too," she said, examining it. "Something is the eyes isn't quite right..."  
"No way, it's perfect," Kurt told her. "Looks exactly like you." Rogue grinned and leaned against a wall.  
"So what brings you to me, little brother?"  
"I didn't tell her."  
"WHAT?"  
"Shh! People are sleeping, Rogue. Not everyone's an insomniac like you."  
"I thought you were going to tell her today."  
"I was...but I couldn't."  
"Kurt, she's practically a grown up...sort of. But she can handle it."  
"I can't hurt her, Rogue."  
"Don't you think it'll hurt her more if she just wakes up one day and—"  
"I've thought about that already! And yes, I know it will. I just...can't bring myself to tell her."  
"Kurt, you have to. No one else is going to do it for you."  
"Will you come with me and hold my hand, big sis?" Rogue laughed lightly.  
"No. This is something you have to do on your own."  
"Okay."  
"And you have to do it."  
"Okay."  
"By tomorrow night."  
"Tomorrow night?!"  
"Hey, you were supposed to do it tonight."  
"Fine." Kurt sighed. "But I expect you to be close by to pick up the pieces when she falls apart."  
"I'll gladly help you pick up every piece of Kitty we can. As long as she doesn't cry to me for three months."  
"She might, though."  
"Well, there are six other people who live here. Tell her to cry to one of them."  
"You're charming." Rogue laughed.  
"Yeah, thanks." 


	3. Twists

Chapter Three  
  
Kitty stifled a yawn. She couldn't believe how tired she was. She'd stayed up later than she had last night and was less tired at school. Maybe Kurt just had that effect on her.  
The bell rang, and Kitty made her way through the sea of students. She still had some research to do, so she was going to spend her lunch at the library again. And she was halfway there before she heard someone call out her name. She turned, and couldn't help but smile.  
"Hey, Lance," she said. Even now, four years after they'd met, she was still awed by how attractive he was. For a minute she forgot why she'd broken up with him.  
"Where're you going?" Lance asked.  
"Library."  
"I'll walk you."  
"You don't have to. I'm, like perfectly capable of finding it myself." Kitty grinned. "Also, I don't want you to miss lunch."  
"I'll do anything for you. You know that."  
"I do know that." She blushed, and they walked in silence for a minute.  
"Do you need some help with any of that?" Lance finally asked. He nodded at the stack of books she was carrying.  
"Well, if you, like, don't mind, then sure," Kitty said. Lance reached over and took the books from her.  
"There, now everyone can see your pretty face."  
"But no one can see yours."  
"Well, that is true." Lance handed her back two of her books. "There, now we're even."  
"Hardly!" Kitty laughed. "You have four of my books, and I have two. The smaller ones, I might add. Are you, like, trying to tell me that I'm a weak girl who can't carry the bigger books?"  
"Not at all," Lance replied. "I think you're the strongest girl in the world." They'd reached the library at this point. Lance placed her books on the table that Kitty had selected. "I mean that, Kitty."  
"I know." Kitty reached up and touched his hair. It made her heart ache to see him, her first love, in so much pain. Especially since the pain was over her.  
"How are you, Lance? Really?"  
"I've been better," he said honestly, looking directly into her eyes. She quickly looked away. The harmless flirting they've done all year suddenly seemed...harmful.  
"Didn't you have a bio test today?" she asked, quickly changing the subject. Lance knew what she was doing. She was avoiding the issue at hand. The issue that she still had lingering feelings for him.  
"Yeah," he said. I'll go along with it, Kitty, he thought. For now.  
"Well, like, how'd you do?"  
"I'm not sure yet."  
"Well, how do you think you did?"  
"I don't know."  
"Did you study?"  
"How long are we going to keep doing this, Kitty?" Kitty stared at him.  
"I...I don't know what you're talking about, Lance."  
"Yes, you do. You know that I love you."  
"I—"  
"And I know that you still love me, too."  
"Oh, Lance." Kitty wrapped her arms around his beck and gave him a gentle squeeze. "Lance, I don't."  
"What are you talking about?"  
"I do love you, and I'm sure I always will in, like, some way. But I'm not *in* love with you. Not anymore. I'm in love with Kurt."  
"You just think you are."  
"No, Lance." Kitty cupped his face in her hands. "I am."  
"Then what have we been doing all year, Kitty? Huh? Was it just some random amusement for you?"  
"No, not at all. Just because I, like, don't want to be your girlfriend again doesn't mean I want you out of my life."  
"Save it, Kitty. I'm not listening. Not anymore."  
"Lance, wait!" But he didn't. He stormed out of the library, leaving Kitty there, alone.  
  
"That is beautiful, chere."  
Rogue looked up from her painting and saw Remy standing there.  
"Thanks," she said, ignoring the dancing her heart was doing. "I'm still working on it, though."  
"Why?"  
"The eyes aren't quite right yet."  
"The eyes are perfect."  
"Something's missing."  
"Maybe a little heart next to her head with Remy's name in it?" Rogue glared at him, but inside her heart was pounding. Maybe that really *was* what was missing.  
"Did you want something, Cajun?" Rogue asked.  
"Just you, chere."  
"I'm serious."  
"So am I." Rogue sighed.  
"If you don't want anything, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. I can't concentrate on my work with you crowding me."  
"Remy thinks you don't really want him to leave."  
"I'm counting to three, and you better be gone. Or I'll put you in a coma."  
"You just want me in your head."  
"One."  
"Not that that's any different from now."  
"Two."  
"You need to relax, chere. Remy just has a question for you."  
"What?"  
"What's the big secret?"  
"What secret?"  
"You and your brother. There's some big secret. Big conspiracy that no one wants Kitty in on." Rogue whipped around and faced him.  
"You know about that?"  
"Everyone knows about it, chere. Except Kitty, of course. But not everyone knows what this big secret is."  
"Well, I can't tell you."  
"Why's that?"  
"No one can know until Kurt tells Kitty."  
"Until he tells her what?"  
"You're getting on my last nerve, Cajun."  
"And all the others, no?"  
"Three."  
"I'm leaving."  
"Good."  
Once Remy had left the room, Rogue grabbed a clean rag and screamed into it. She figured that anyone who heard would probably think it was a frustrated scream. No one would ever expect that it was a very out-of- character scream of joy.  
  
Lance stormed out of Principal Kelly's office. It was done. No more, ever again. All he had to do was drop off the letter in Kitty's locker, and then he'd be gone. Despite what had happened, he didn't want to leave on bad terms with Kitty. He went directly to the cafeteria and composed a letter, then went to talk to the principal. Principal Kelly was thrilled with Lance's decision, although he never actually same out and said it.  
But it was time. It was the right thing to do. Although Lance knew that Kitty would never see it that way.  
  
Jean leaned her head against Scott's chest, and he smoothed her hair. For once, neither of them had classes. She didn't have any that day, and his afternoon class had been canceled.  
"We haven't been alone together like this in ages," Jean said softly.  
"I know," Scott replied. "It's kind of nice."  
"Kind of?" Jean teased. Scott smiled and leaned over to kiss her.  
"We graduate college next year," Scott said.  
"You graduate, I still have a few more years," Jean reminded him. Scott had decided on being a teacher while Jean was going for her doctorate.  
"Whatever." Scott leaned back on the couch. "Do you know anything about Kurt's secret?"  
"No. I've been dying to get into his or Rogue's head and find out what's going on, but I know better. And I think whatever it is, they want Kitty to be the first to know."  
"Do you think it's serious?"  
"It can't be that great if Kurt's this paranoid about telling her."  
Scott thought about that for a moment. She was right. It wasn't like Kurt to get this worked up about telling Kitty something. It was Kitty, after all. They've known each other for four years, and they've been dating for a year and a half.  
"I didn't think those two had any secrets," Scott said.  
"I don't think it's meant to be a secret," Jean said thoughtfully. "I've sensed a lot of dread whenever he's around her. I think it's just something she isn't going to like."  
"Well, her birthday's in two weeks, and her senior prom is two weeks after that," Scott said. "Maybe something related to that?"  
"I don't know. But I'm sure we'll all find out soon enough."  
  
"Me?!" Kitty squeaked. "Are you, like, for real?"  
"Yes, Katherine," Principal Kelly said with a laugh. "You."  
"But I, like, didn't realize I was...wow."  
"Wow is definitely the right word for it," Principal Kelly said. "That's what they all say." He stood up. "Listen, there's only a few minutes left of the school day. Why don't you go ahead and go on home and tell everyone. I'm sure Jean in particular will be exceptionally proud of you."  
"Thanks, Principal Kelly!" Kitty jumped up and ran from his office all the way to her locker. She quickly spun the combination and grabbed the books she needed for homework that night. A white envelope was in there, too. Her name was written on it in Lance's handwriting. She grabbed the letter and the rest of her stuff, and raced to her car. She couldn't wait to get home. 


	4. Truth?

NOTE: Thoughts and telepathy will now be identified with ' '.  
  
Chapter Four  
  
Kitty phased her car through the mansion's gates. Professor Xavier and Logan have told her a hundred times not to do that, but surely they'd understand today. After she told them her big news.  
She parked her car in the garage, and took off, phasing through everything to get inside faster.  
"EVERYONE!! COME HERE!! QUICK!!" Kitty shrieked when she got inside. Rogue was the first to get to her. She'd gotten the hang of flying pretty fast.  
"What in the hell are you yelling about?" she asked.  
"I'll tell you when, like, everyone gets here," answered Kitty excitedly. Soon everyone was there. Everyone, except Kurt, who was still in class.  
"What's this about, Half-Pint?" Logan asked. "Some of us have things to do."  
"I'm sorry, Logan, but really, this is, like, totally important and worth hearing," Kitty said. She was jumping up and down in place.  
"Calm down, Kitty," the professor said. "Take a breath and tell us what this is about."  
"Okay, well Principal Kelly called me into his office today, because he, like had something really important to tell me. At first I was totally nervous, because I talked to Lance earlier, and you know how he can be, so I thought maybe it was related to that. But it wasn't."  
"Get to the point, Petite," Remy said.  
"I am," Kitty said. "Okay, so I'm, like, the first person in the institute to have this honor since Jean." She took a deep breath for dramatic effect. She glanced over at Jean, who was grinning. Without even going into her head, Jean knew exactly what she was going to say.  
"I'm the valedictorian!" Kitty burst out. Jean jumped up and hugged Kitty. So did Scott and Remy. Logan hung back, as did Rogue. She tried to contain the small feeling of jealousy that suddenly swept over her. She didn't care about Kitty being the smartest person in her grade, it was the attention Remy was giving her that got to Rogue.  
"Congratulations, Kitty," Professor X said. "You've worked very hard these past four years. You deserve it."  
"Nice going, Half-Pint," Logan agreed. Rogue finally stood up, and squeezed Kitty's shoulder.  
"I'm proud of you," she said. She knew she needed to be nice to Kitty right now, especially with the news that was coming for her later from Kurt. Rogue only hoped Kurt's news wouldn't completely destroy Kitty's good spirits.  
  
When Kitty got up to her room, she opened her backpack and pulled out the ltter from Lance. She was really curious as to what it said.  
  
Dear Kitty,  
I can't begin to express to you how much I love you. Losing you in the biggest regret of my life. I've been trying like hell this past year to do everything I possibly could to win you back. And you just won't give me the time of day. I thought we were finally making progress, and then our "conversation" today proved me wrong. Maybe you are just too good for me. The point of this letter is to tell you again that I love you and that I'll never forget about you. But I can't go on seeing you every day and not being able to think, "Wow, she's mine." You've made it perfectly clear that you want blue-boy, so fine. You've made your choice. I'm not chasing you anymore. I've contacted Pietro, and I'm joining him and Todd and Fred. I can't tell you where they are. So this is goodbye, Kitty. I'm not coming back to school. I've dropped out. Now you can officially say you've never been proud of me. I really do hope that you're happy for the rest of you life, though, because no one deserves happiness more than you. I do hope that every now and then you'll remember me and what we used to have before I went and messed it all up. I love you, Katherine Pryde.  
Lance  
  
Kitty dropped the letter, and tears welled up in her eyes. She knew Lance leaving probably was for the best. But she still wanted him to finish school. And she wanted to tell him that she'd never forget him, and that there were plenty of times when he made her proud.  
But he was leaving now. She couldn't do anything about it. She put the letter back in the envelope. She opened a drawer in her desk and pulled out a small silver box. She took the box over to her bed and opened it up. Inside were the contents of important mementos from her relationship with Lance. Ticket stubs from dances and movies, pictures, notes he'd written to her in school. She picked up a picture that was taken her sophomore year of high school, a few weeks before she and Lance broke up. It was Lance's (first) senior prom, and Kitty had been his date. They both looked so happy and so in love. She smiled at the memory. It wasn't a longing smile, just a happy one. She knew she'd always have her memories.  
Kitty heard a door shut, and she knew Kurt was home. She put Lance's letter in the box, put the box away and phased through the floor downstairs.  
"Kurt! Guess what!" she cried. She threw her arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his lips.  
"If that's it, then it's great news," Kurt said with a grin. Kitty laughed.  
"No, that's not it. But I liked it, too," she flirted. She hadn't noticed Rogue sitting in a chair, trying to read.  
"Is there any where in this entire mansion I can go and *not* see couples making out?" she groaned.  
"Oops. Sorry, Rogue. I, like, didn't see you there," Kitty stammered.  
"Whatever, it's fine. Just tell him your big news," Rogue answered.  
"You told Rogue before me?" Kurt asked, pretending to be offended.  
"Actually, I told, like, everyone before you." Kitty smiled. "I'm the valedictorian."  
"Katzchen! That's wonderful!" Kurt lifted her up and spun her around. Then he suddenly stopped, and put her back down. "Rogue, can I talk to you for a minute?"  
"Sure," Rogue said, knowing exactly what he was going to say.  
"I'm going to do my homework," Kitty said. "Come up when you're done?"  
"Of course," Kurt said. Kitty kissed his cheek, then disappeared.  
"You still gotta tell her, Kurt," Rogue said without looking up from her book.  
"I can't! Not today! Look how happy she is. And her birthday is in two weeks, and her prom two weeks after that—"  
"And then two weeks after *that*—" Rogue cut in.  
"I know, I know!" Kurt buried his face in his hands. "What am I going to do?"  
"You're going to tell her, Kurt. Go do it now."  
Kurt sighed.  
"Can't I wait until after her birthday, at least?"  
"Can you really live through the next two weeks keeping that to yourself? I mean, everyone know something's going on already."  
"What?"  
"Yeah. Remy asked me earlier what was going on with you. He said everyone knew there was some secret that you and I have, and we're trying to make sure Kitty doesn't find out."  
"What did you tell him?"  
"I didn't tell him nothin'. I told him to leave me alone."  
"Sure, you did." Kurt could see right through his sister. Maybe she thought she had everyone else fooled, but she couldn't lie to him. He knew that she liked the Cajun, whether she wanted to admit it or not.  
"Do you want me to go tell him? Cos I will."  
"No, no. We need to keep it to ourselves. At least until I tell Kitty."  
"Go do it now, Kurt," Rogue repeated. "It's gonna get harder the longer you wait, so you might as well just do it now."  
"Fine," Kurt sighed. He teleported up to Kitty's room.  
"Hey! I, like, so did hear a knock," Kitty teased.  
"Forgive me, Katzchen," Kurt said. He teleported to the hallway, knocked on her door, then teleported back in. "Is that better?"  
"Much."  
Kitty was sitting on her bed. She had a text book and a notebook open.  
"What are you working on?"  
"History review," Kitty answered. "World War II." Kurt shuddered. "Yeah, I know." Kitty closed the book. Kurt sat down on her bed next to her. He tried to think of a way to bring it up. How could he just come right out and say, Kitty—"  
"Lance dropped out today," Kitty said, interrupting his thoughts.  
"What?"  
"He dropped out of school. He's rejoining the Brotherhood, wherever they are."  
"Are you alright?"  
"Yeah, sure. Why, like, wouldn't I be?"  
"Well, you and Lance have an intense past."  
"But that's been over for a long time."  
"Alright." Kitty wondered if she should show Kurt the letter. She decided against it. She wouldn't want to see a letter he received from Amanda that stated her undying love.  
'Great,' she thought. 'Now I'll be wondering forever if Amanda has written him.'  
"Kitty, I have to tell you something," Kurt said slowly.  
"Okay, go ahead."  
"This isn't easy for me to say, but...I can't put it off any longer."  
"Kurt, you're, like, scaring me. What's going on?"  
"Kitty, I'm—"  
Knock, knock, knock.  
'Ugh, who could that possibly be?' Kurt thought.  
'It's me,' Jean's voice came in Kurt's heard. 'Is this a bad time?'  
"Who is it?" Kitty called.  
'Yes, kind of,' Kurt mentally told Jean.  
"I just want to let you know that dinner's ready," Jean called to Kitty.  
"Okay, thanks!" Kitty called back. She grabbed Kurt's arm. "Come on. I know how cranky you get when you, like, miss a meal." And she phased them down to the kitchen. 


	5. Broken Hearts

Queequegg ~ FIRST REVIEW!!! I'm so glad you like it! Thanks so much for reading!  
  
Chapter Five  
  
Rogue glared at Kurt all through dinner. She could tell by Kitty's body language that he didn't tell her. Kitty had moved her chair so close to Kurt's that they (the chairs) were touching.  
Jean noticed Rogue's glare, and thought she should explain.  
'Don't be mad, Rogue,' Jean mentally told her.  
'I told you they were busy,' Rogue responded.  
'I know. Kurt told me telepathically, but not until after I'd knocked on the door. Kitty responded, so I had to say something. I tried to cover for it to help buy Kurt more time, but I guess Kitty forced him down here. I mean, they did get here before I did.'  
'Whatever. They need to talk, though.'  
'What's all this about, anyway?'  
'I can't tell you, Jean.'  
'Not until Kurt tells Kitty, right?'  
'Right. I'm sure everyone'll know, then.'  
'Alright.'  
Kurt noticed Rogue's glare shift from him to Jean, and he knew Rogue was probably chewing her out.  
'Jean,' Kurt communicated. 'Can you tell Rogue to meet me in her studio after dinner? I need to talk to her.'  
'Sure,' Jean answered. She glanced at Rogue and passed on the message. 'Rogue said "Whatever."'  
'Thanks.'  
  
"Talk." Rogue picked up a paint brush and started mixing colors, trying to fid the perfect shade of green.  
"I know what you're thinking, Rogue," Kurt began.  
"That you're chicken?"  
"Well, that's not the word I would've chosen, but alright."  
"You didn't tell her."  
"I was about to Rogue, I swear."  
"Sure."  
"No, really! Then Jean came and interrupted." Rogue sighed.  
"Fine."  
"Do you believe me?"  
"Yes, but only because she said the same thing."  
"Good."  
"So why are you down here with me instead of up there with her?"  
"She's studying. And she's starting to write her speech."  
"Kurt...she needs to know."  
"Okay, okay."  
"Seriously, Kurt. Go tell her now."  
"Yes, sis." Rogue laughed and flicked some paint at him. Kurt teleported just in time, and the paint hit the wall.  
  
Kurt ended up right in front of Kitty's bedroom door. He took a deep breath and knocked.  
"Come in!" Kitty's cheerful voice rang out. Kurt sighed heavily and opened the door.  
Kitty was sitting at her computer, typing.  
"What are you writing?" Kurt asked.  
"English paper," Kitty answered. "It's not due until, like, next week, but I figured I'll, like, get a head start on it, you know?"  
"Yeah." Kurt sat on her bed. Kitty saved her document, then joined Kurt.  
"So you were, like, trying to tell me something earlier?" Kitty asked cautiously. She was so nervous and terrified. 'Calm down, Kitty,' she told herself. 'He loves you. What's the worst thing he could possibly say?'  
"I'm going to Germany to see my foster parents!" Kurt blurted out. Kitty was stunned. Then she smiled, which turned into giggling, which turned into hysterical laughing.  
"*That's* what you were so afraid to tell me?" she said between giggles. "That's great, Kurt. You haven't seen them since, like, your high school graduation last year."  
"There's more, Kitty," Kurt said softly, taking her hand.  
"Okay."  
"I take my last final in six weeks. And I'm taking the summer off."  
"Yeah, you told me that, like, forever ago."  
"Well, I'm leaving for Germany a few days after that."  
"Okay, that's, like, the middle of May."  
"Right."  
"How long will you be gone?" Kurt didn't say anything. "Kurt?" He looked at the floor. "Kurt! How long will you be gone?"  
"Kitty, I will be here for your birthday, and I will take you to your prom like I promised."  
"How long will you be gone?"  
"Until the beginning of September."  
"What?"  
"About three and a half months."  
"...You won't be here for my graduation?"  
"No, Katzchen. But I'm going to have Scott tape it for me, and the minute I receive it in Germany, I will watch it, and then call you."  
Kitty's eyes were brimming with tears. What was she going to do with Kurt, her fuzzy elf, for nearly four months?  
"Kitty...there's more."  
"Oh, God. What?" Kurt's chest tightened. He didn't want to say the words he was about to say.  
"I think we should...not be together anymore, once I leave."  
Kitty felt her heart sink to her stomach.  
"Why?" she whispered. She couldn't speak any louder than that. She knew that if she did, she'd burst into tears.  
"A lot can happen in four months, Katzchen," Kurt said, touching her cheek. "In the span of a month a half, Amanda moved, you broke up with Lance, and you and I started dating."  
"But all that happened because you and I were, like, supposed to have been together from the beginning," Kitty protested.  
"Kitty, I don't want to be apart from you anymore that you want to be apart from me," Kurt said. "When I get back, we'll see where our lives are. If we're meant to be together, Katzchen, then we will be."  
Kitty stared at the ground. She couldn't hold back the tears anymore. They came flooding out of her eyes. Despite his better judgment, Kurt pulled her to him and wrapped her in a hug. A few tears fell from his eyes, as well.  
"I love you, Kitty," Kurt said. "And I'm going to miss you, a lot."  
"I miss you already," Kitty said through her tears. Kurt brushed the tears away from her cheek.  
"You're beautiful, Katzchen."  
"So are you, Kurt." Kurt rose and made his way to the door. No use in putting her through any more misery for the night.  
"Kurt?" He stopped and turned. "I love you, too."  
"I know, Kitty. I'll see you in the morning."  
"Okay." Kurt left the room.  
Kitty curled up in a little ball on her bed, and cried herself to sleep.  
  
Kurt went into the bathroom. He stared at his reflection for a minutes, dried his own eyes, then teleported to Rogue's studio. She looked up at him.  
"Well?"  
"I told her."  
"And?"  
"You know how I thought of the worst possible way I could feel after telling her?"  
"Yeah."  
"It feels worse than that."  
Rogue put down her brushes, pulled her gloves on and approached her brother. She pulled him into a hug, making sure her face didn't touch him.  
"Everything'll be alright, Kurt. I promise." 


	6. Promenade

Chapter Six  
  
Kitty's birthday came and went. She always loved having a birthday in late April. The weather was always perfect. The past several years were wonderful. She loved spending the time with her friends at the institute. Last year she and Kurt went back to Chicago to see her parents. But this year, her heart just wasn't in it. Jean had dressed her up, and Kurt took her out to a fancy restaurant. He'd been going out of his way to make things up to her after dropping that bomb on her. He bought her a dozen pink roses, and as a birthday gift he gave her a photo album with every picture of the two of them he could find in it, from the day she arrived at the institute to their first date, to just last week. Kitty, of course, cried. She told him that she loved it, which she really did, but she just couldn't get excited over anything knowing that in just four more weeks, the love of her life would be gone.  
  
"She's taking this hard, no?"  
"Yeah, I've never seen her so depressed," Rogue answered Remy. They were in the kitchen. Remy was going through the fridge while Rogue rinsed her paint brushes out in the sink.  
"You think she'll be alright, chere?"  
"I really don't know, Remy," Rogue said. "I'm more worried about Kurt."  
"Why?"  
"I don't know. I guess cos he's my brother."  
"Yes, but he'll be in another country, surrounded by no reminders of her. She's stuck here, the first place she met him, and everything will make her think of him."  
"You're saying I should feel sorry for her?"  
"No, just that it'll be harder on her."  
"Y'know Cajun, I don't need you defending her."  
"Remy thinks the problem is that you already feel sorry for her, chere, but you don't want to seem like you're betraying Kurt."  
"I'm leaving." Rogue grabbed her brushes and pushed past him, flying to her studio.  
  
The next two weeks passed quickly, as well. Kurt took Kitty to her prom. She tried to have fun, but it was just so hard. She smiled brightly for their pictures, and found herself looking forward to getting them back. She decided she'd send one to Kurt in Germany. Maybe if he had that with him, he'd miss her even more.  
"Come on, Katzchen," Kurt said. "Let's dance. You love to dance."  
"Alright," Kitty agreed. He led her towards the dance floor, but they didn't make it that far.  
"Oh my God!" a voice cried from behind them. They stopped and turned around.  
"Hi, Helena," Kitty said, putting on a fake smile.  
"Kitty, you look gorgeous! And Kurt! I haven't seen you in so long! Wow, you clean up nicely."  
"Thank you, Helena," Kurt said. "You look very nice, yourself."  
"Kitty, would you mind if I snagged your date for this song?" Helena asked. Kitty and Kurt looked at each other.  
'What I wouldn't give for Jean's powers right now,' Kitty thought.  
"Sure, go ahead," is what she said, however.  
"Are you sure?" Kurt asked.  
"Yeah, totally," Kitty answered, then forced out another grin. "But, like, just this one song."  
Helena pulled Kurt onto the floor, and Kitty glanced around. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw a familiar face. She stared for a minute, then rushed over.  
"What are you doing here?" she asked.  
"I had to see you just one more time," Lance said.  
"Lance, you left so fast. I didn't, like, get to say goodbye."  
"I know. I'm sorry."  
"Listen, I want you to know that I never thought you were a failure or anything. I was, like, really upset when you left, too."  
"So you got my letter?"  
"Yes."  
"Here with Blue Boy?"  
"Yes." She didn't tell him the current status of their relationship.  
"Where is he?"  
"Dancing with Helena."  
"So you're free?"  
"Yeah, I guess I am."  
"Dance with me?"  
"Sure."  
Lance led Kitty on the dance floor. Kurt caught Kitty's eye, and he raised an eyebrow. She smiled at him, letting him know that she wasn't interested in going back to Lance, and that she didn't know he was going to be there.  
"Did you hear I'm valedictorian?" Kitty asked him.  
"I'm not surprised," Lance said. "You're the smartest person I've ever met."  
"I found out just a few minutes before I got your letter."  
"Well, congratulations. You really deserve it, Pretty Kitty."  
"Thanks, Lance." The song ended, and Lance took a step back.  
"I have to go, Kitty," he said. "But I'm thankful for this last chance to see you."  
"I won't forget you, Lance. Please remember that." Lance leaned over and kissed her cheek.  
"Bye, Kitty."  
"Bye." Lance walked off, and Kurt appeared at her side.  
"I thought he left."  
"Yeah, so did I. He said he, like, wanted to see me one more time."  
"Well, I can't say I blame him." Kurt wrapped an arm around Kitty's shoulders and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "You really look beautiful tonight, Katzchen. Did I tell you that?"  
"A few times," Kitty smiled. "But I don't mind hearing it again." 'Especially since I won't hear it again for another 4 months,' she added silently.  
Kurt and Kitty danced for a while, then took a break to get some water. They found a table and sat down to rest before they got back out on the floor. But before they could get up again, Principal Kelly got up in front of everyone an announced that it was time to name the prom king and queen.  
"Who do you think will win?" Kurt asked.  
"I have, like, no idea," Kitty answered. "I didn't even vote."  
The king was named first. It was a boy in Kitty's calculus class. Very attractive, very smart. That was all she knew.  
"And this year's prom queen is..." Principal Kelly opened the second envelope. "Kitty Pryde!"  
"Katzchen!" Kurt stared at her, wide eyed. "You won!"  
"But...I didn't even know I was, like, an option."  
"You really are the next Jean Grey, aren't you?" Kurt teased. Jean had been prom queen, too. Everyone thought it was going to be Jean and Duncan or Scott and Taryn. But the winners had been Scott and Jean, which thrilled them as well as everyone at the institute. No one else from the institute had ever come close. Well, Kurt was almost Homecoming King his senior year, but he lost out to a guy they called "Duncan's Replacement".  
Kitty went up to receive her sash and crown. She looked out at her classmates, and saw Lance in the very back. He gave her a quick wave, and walked out. She wondered if he had anything to do with her winning.  
Kitty danced with the king, and then they separated and went back to their dates. Kurt spun Kitty around and told her how great it was for her. For a minute, Kitty was actually excited and happy.  
The she came crashing back to reality, and remembered that in just two short weeks, Kurt would be gone. 


	7. Discussions

Chapter Seven  
  
Kitty opened her eyes and glanced at the clock. It was after noon. She closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep.  
Kurt had been gone for a month. Graduation came. Kitty gave her speech, and Scott taped the entire thing. When they called her name to give Kitty her diploma, she heard loud cheers coming from all her housemates, even Logan and Rogue. But there were no cheers in German.  
After graduation, Kitty went to bed, and pretty much hadn't gotten up. She'd gone out a few times with Jean, and she went with Rogue and Remy to an art show. She tried to throw herself into training, but Logan finally sent her back to her room, since she kept "dying". She just couldn't seem to be happy.  
  
"I don't know what to do for her, Scott," Jean said. "I've tried taking her out. I've tried clubs so she can dance, and she gets upset because the last time she went dancing, she was with Kurt. I tried taking her shopping, but every store we went into she'd mention a gift she bought there for Kurt, or something he bought for her. I'm running out of ideas."  
"You know, I really think those two could've made a long distance relationship work," Scott said.  
"I'm sire Kitty would've been willing to, too," Jean said. "But Kurt didn't want to keep her tied down. She's eighteen, she just graduated from high school, and it's summer."  
"He did what he thought was the right thing," Rogue said, entering the living room. Remy was right behind her.  
"I didn't say that he didn't," Jean said. "I'm saying that I understand why he did it."  
"Oh." Rogue wasn't expecting that.  
"Petite needs some time to heal," Remy said. "Her heart is broken. You'd feel the same way, no?"  
"No one asked you, Cajun," Rogue snapped. She groaned to herself. Why did she treat him like that? It was a reflex or something.  
Luckily, Remy always took her vulgar remarks as flirting.  
"No one needs to ask me, chere," he answered with a sly grin. "Remy always knows that you're dying to know what he has to say."  
Rogue rolled her eyes.  
"Yeah, keep telling yourself that."  
"Well still need to try to find a way to help Kitty," Scott said.  
'Kitty will be just fine,' Professor X's voice came to them all. 'Just let her take her time.'  
"Remy'll never get used to that," Remy muttered.  
  
Kitty was awake completely now, and sitting up in her bed. She'd brushed her teeth and showered, and was at least looking normal. She was flipping through her photo album that Kurt had given to her for her birthday. She'd added prom pictures and a few other that had been taken since she found out he was leaving. She even put in a pencil sketch Rogue had drawn of the two of them. She stared at the drawing for a minute. She still couldn't believe how talented Rogue was. She'd managed to capture every detail of both Kurt and Kitty.  
Kitty was still looking at pictures when she heard a knock on her door. She let out a sigh.  
"Come in," she called. The door opened, and in walked Logan.  
"How're you holding up, Half-Pint?" he asked.  
"Fine," she answered, even though they both knew she wasn't.  
"Listen, kid, you have to start getting over this," Logan said. "At least a little bit. The time before the Elf gets back will just seem longer if you sit in here every day."  
"I know," Kitty said quietly. Her eyes filled with tears. Logan let out a silent sigh, and knelt down.  
"I know you're sad," he said. "But it's not like Elf died. He'll be back in a few months."  
"I know, I just..." Tears spilled over onto Kitty's cheeks. She didn't bother trying to stop them, even though she was sure they were enough to make Logan walk out.  
But he didn't.  
Logan wiped away her tears with his thumbs. She looked at him, and the two of them stared for a moment.  
For the first time, Logan realized she wasn't just Half-Pint anymore. She was grown up, now. She was...beautiful.  
  
Kurt's father walked into the house with a handful of mail.  
"Here, son," he said, handing Kurt a big envelope. Kurt looked at it. It was from the Institute. He took it up to his room and opened it.  
Inside was five letters and some pictures. A letter from Scott, one from Jean, one from the professor, and of course, letters from Rogue and Kitty. He looked through the pictures first.  
The first picture was of Scott and Jean outside by the pool. Scott had tried to do some fancy dive off the diving board, and just to mess with him, jean held his place in the air and wouldn't let him go. Kurt laughed.  
The next picture was Remy trying to kiss Rogue, Her glove covered hand was on his face, pushing him away. She had a disgusted look on her face, while Remy looked amused. Kurt smiled. He knew better than to believe the look on his sister's face.  
There were other pictures. Some of the professor, some of Logan, copies of the prom pictures. And of course, pictures of Kitty.  
The one picture that caught his eye was a picture of Kitty on the balcony. But Kitty's room didn't have one. Only Kurt's room did.  
In the picture, Kitty was leaning on the edge, looking up at the sky. She reminded him of Juliet, waiting for Romeo to show up.  
She looked beautiful.  
And he felt awful.  
He picked up the letters and read them. He read Kitty's first. She wrote about how she missed him, and a few outings with Jean and Rogue and Remy. It wasn't very detailed though.  
Then he read Rogue's letter and discovered why.  
He didn't like the fact that Kitty was so miserable. And he missed her so much.  
'Why did I break up with her again?' he thought. 


	8. Personal Affairs

Rukinha Lokinha ~ Don't worry, Kurt's coming back soon. Just need a few interesting distractions first...  
  
NOTE: Please don't kill me over this chapter! Just trust me and the direction the story's going in.  
  
Chapter Eight  
  
It was the 4th of July now. Kitty seemed happier. At least, she was leaving the house more and spending time with her housemates again. They all made plans to go down town together that night to watch the fireworks.  
"Kitty!" Scott yelled up to her. "Are you almost ready?"  
"Yeah! Hang on for, like, two minutes!" she called back. She was putting on some strawberry lip gloss. Rogue walked by her room and glanced in.  
"Man, I'm glad I don't sleep in here anymore," she said, walking in. "I don't think I could live with all this pink."  
"Well, once the younger mutants moved out, that, like, totally freed up a lot of rooms," Kitty said with a laugh.  
"Yeah, and I'm glad I got my own," Rogue said. "I'll meet you down stairs."  
"Okay." Rogue levitated herself and flew out. Kitty put the finishing touches on her makeup, then pulled her hair up. Once she was ready, she phased through the wall, and also through Logan. She stopped and turned to face him.  
"Hey, aren't you coming?" she asked.  
"No," Logan answered shortly. He looked at her for a minute, then gave her a brief smiled. She smiled back.  
"KITTY! WE'RE LEAVING WITHOUT YOU!" Scott screeched.  
"ALRIGHT!" she yelled back. She looked at Logan. "So I'll, like, see you later?"  
"Later, kid." Logan walked into his room and shut the door. Kitty phased through the floor and landed in the living room, right by the front door.  
"Take enough time?" Scott asked her.  
"At least I, like, care what I look like," Kitty retorted. "Or is that cowlick there on purpose?" Scott's hands immediately flew to his hair and he tried to smooth it down. Kitty laughed, and walked out the door. Scott followed.  
"It's good to see you feeling better, Kitty," Jean said as Kitty climbed in the back seat of Scott's car. Remy and Rogue were going separately, and the professor and Logan were staying home.  
"Well, I finally listened to everyone's advice and decided to, like, move on for the time being," she said. "Logan told me that just sitting around being miserable wasn't going to, like, bring Kurt back and quicker, so I might as well enjoy the summer, you know?"  
"Logan said that?" Scott asked. Jean elbowed him in the ribs. "OW!"  
"That's very true, Kitty" Jean said. "And that's a very mature attitude and a great way to look at it."  
"Well, I'm just trying to make the best out of a crappy situation," Kitty replied.  
Jean and Scott smiled at each other. She was going to be okay after all.  
  
Later that night, after everyone was home and asleep, Kitty's insomnia kicked in. She got up to go get a midnight snack, when she saw the light in a room was on. She knocked on the door, and then opened it a crack.  
"Hi," she said.  
"Hey, kid."  
"What're you doing?"  
"Filing my nails." Kitty smiled.  
"Can I come in?"  
"Yeah." Kitty started to phase, but he stopped her. "Don't want cerebro picking up on where you are."  
"Oh, right." She walked in like a normal person and shut the door behind her. She perched herself on the dresser. "So, like, what are you really doing?"  
"Sharpening."  
"Oh...is that...interesting?"  
"Not really."  
"Oh." Kitty began to squirm. "Want to take a break?"  
"Yeah." Logan stood up, grabbed Kitty's waist and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. He lifted her and lightly dropped her on his bed.  
  
A few hours later, Remy woke up, stretched, and looked at the clock. 3:30 a.m. He got up to get something to drink. When he passed by Logan's room, he thought he heard another voice in there.  
'Logan's got company,' he thought devilishly. He decided to try to get a look at the girl. He approached Logan's bedroom door.  
  
Logan sat straight up. Kitty looked up at him.  
"What's wrong?" she asked. Logan shushed her, and sniffed.  
"Cajun," he whispered. "Hide." Just then, a knock came on the door.  
Kitty phased through the bed until she was lying on the floor. She knew the professor wouldn't be using cerebro at this hour.  
She heard the door open and Remy's voice say, "I thought I heard something in here, mon ami."  
"Probably the TV, Cajun," Logan snapped. Remy looked over and saw that Logan's television set was turned on.  
"Remy's mistake," he said. "I leave you alone, now." He left.  
"You can come up now," Logan said after Remy's sent had faded. Kitty phased back up.  
"Maybe I should, like, go back to my room for the rest of the night," she said. "I mean, we've kept our...relationship a secret for the past several weeks. I don't think anyone's, like, going to be too thrilled if they walk in and find me in your bed with you."  
"You've got a point, kid," Logan said. He kissed her forehead. "Go ahead back to your room. We'll meet again."  
"Tomorrow night?"  
"Maybe." Kitty looked at him. She smiled, then got up and pulled her shirt on. She grabbed the rest of her stuff that was lying around, trying to hide all the evidence. She went back to Logan's bed, kissed him, then quickly phased through the door, into the hallway, and into her room without being caught.  
  
The next morning, Kitty came down to breakfast. Jean made pancakes, and everyone was grabbing at them. Kitty laughed to herself, grabbed a plate and two pancakes.  
"Petite, you never got your mail from the other day," Remy said. He handed Kitty two envelopes.  
"It's from Kurt!" she said excitedly.  
"Who's the other one from?" Rogue asked. Kitty turned the envelope over.  
"I don't know," she said. "There's no return address." She quickly ate her breakfast, then went up to her room.  
She put the unmarked letter aside, and stared at Kurt's.  
How did she feel? Did she still want Kurt? She loved him, she was positive of that.  
But what was this thing with Logan?  
She thought about Logan for a minute.  
Did she love him? No, not in that way.  
Could she ever love him? Possibly.  
As much as Kurt? Never. She could never love anyone as much as Kurt.  
She grabbed the unmarked letter and read it.  
  
Dear Kitty, It's been a while. I've been thinking about you a lot lately, and while I swore to myself I wasn't going to contact you, I just haven't been able to get you out of my mind. I had to at least write to you, even though I know you won't be able to write back to me. I miss you, Kitty. I really don't have a lot to say other than that. I have only a few pictures of you, and I look at them every day. They remind me of how things used to be with us, back before I destroyed everything. I just want you to know that I'm sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. Hurting you meant my life as I knew it was over, and what good is living if you've got nothing to live for? I hope Blue Boy is taking good care of you. You deserve nothing but the best. Always know that if anyone ever hurts you, I will eventually find out about it, and I'll take care of it. If that's the only way I can take care of you, then that's what I'll do. I'll always be there for you, Kitty, in some way.  
Lance  
  
Kitty felt her heart melt. It was a sweet letter. She never expected to hear from Lance again. She hadn't even thought about him in a while. She almost wished he'd put a return address on there so she could respond. It'd be nice to write to him.  
She took out her silver box and put Lance's letter in there, right on top of the one that he'd written to her the day he dropped out.  
The day she found out she was valedictorian.  
The day Kurt told her he was leaving her.  
She felt a familiar pain in her chest, right by her heart. Kurt's leaving had literally made her heart ache.  
She picked up Kurt's letter and stared at it for a minute. Could it possibly be something good? Would reading it just make her feel worse?  
'I can't,' Kitty thought. 'Not right now, anyway.' She tucked the letter under her pillow. She decided to read it either later in the afternoon, or tomorrow. Whenever she worked up the nerve to open it and not feel guilty about Logan. 


	9. Accidentally Undercover

Chapter Nine  
  
A few days later, Kitty woke up to the feeling of sunlight on her face. She kept her eyes close, because she was facing the window.  
'Wait a minute,' she though. 'The way my bed is...my face would never be towards a window.'  
There was also the feeling of someone next to her. For a minute, she thought it was Kurt, and she smiled to herself. Then she opened her eyes. She's wasn't in Kurt's room, or her own.  
Sure enough, the person next to her was Logan.  
Kitty looked at the clock. It was 8:30 in the morning. She did some quick thinking. It was Saturday. The only person who might be awake this early on a Saturday is Rogue, and if she was, she was painting in her studio. She quickly got up out of the bed and got dressed, then knelt down by the side of the bed he was sleeping on.  
"Logan," she said quietly. She shook him gently. He opened his eyes.  
"What time is it?" he asked.  
"8:30," she said sheepishly. "I guess we both, like, fell asleep last night before I got a chance to leave the scene of the crime."  
"Well, no one's awake yet," Logan said. "Just go back now."  
"Walk me to the door?" Kitty gave him puppy-eyes. Logan sighed heavily and pulled himself out of bed. Once at his door, Kitty cupped his face in her hands and pulled him down for a kiss. She began phasing backwards through the door. Logan's face came with her.  
"Want me to come back tonight?" Kitty asked.  
"Maybe," Logan said. His response was always maybe.  
"Well, then maybe I will," she said with a smile. She phased his head back through the door, then phased herself into her own room.  
  
Rogue made a stop in the bathroom to brush her teeth on the way to her studio. Just as she was about to step out into the hallways, she saw Kitty phase through...Logan's room?  
Rogue watched Logan and Kitty's interaction, jaw practically on the floor.  
'How long has *this* been going on?' she thought frantically.  
Kitty phased into her room, and Rogue opened the bathroom door the rest of the way. She was in a total state of shock.  
"What's the matter with you, chere?" she heard from behind her. She turned, grabbed Remy's shirt and pulled him into the bathroom.  
"Oh, my God," she said.  
"Finally admitting that you love me, huh, chere?" Remy asked with a grin. He leaned over to kiss her, and she pushed him away.  
"First of all, you know I can't do that!" Rogue hissed. "Second, that's not why I pulled you in here."  
"Sure it isn't." Remy was still grinning.  
"You know why Kitty's been so happy these past few weeks?"  
"Because she's getting over the whole thing?"  
"No! Because she's sleeping with Logan!" Remy stared at Rogue for a minute.  
"Chere, it's a bit too early to be drinking, non?"  
"I'm serious, Remy! I just saw her come out of Logan's room."  
"That don't mean anything."  
"They were attached at the mouth!"  
"Okay, that does."  
"That's just...twisted." Rogue leaned against the bathroom counter and rested her head on one of her hands. "What do we do, Remy?"  
"Nothing, chere. It's their business, not ours."  
"What about Kurt?"  
"What about him?"  
"He still loves her!"  
"And she still loves him."  
"Obviously not!"  
"Chere, things are not always as they seem." Remy touched Rogue's hair, smiled, and then left.  
'Ugh, that's just what I get for trying to talk to the Cajun!' Rogue thought, frustrated.  
  
Rogue paced around her studio. Normally this kind of emotion would be great for painting out, but she didn't have any blank canvases. She had been planning to buy some over the week, and had just forgotten. Now she was stuck trying to deal with the image that was left in her head.  
Logan and Kitty?  
She wasn't sure how old Logan was, but she did know that just four years ago when Kitty and Logan met, that relationship wouldn't have been legal.  
Rogue tried to look at it from a rational point of view. Maybe it just seemed weird to her because she wasn't used to seeing Kitty with anyone other than Kurt. Well, and Lance. And there was that guy in the school's performance of Dracula and she and Rogue were both in, and Kitty flirted with him a lot. But mainly, Rogue had only seen her with Lance and Kurt. Was that why she didn't like it?  
No, she didn't like it because it was weird.  
"Oh, God," Rogue said out loud, to no one. "What do I tell Kurt?"  
She continued pacing. Should she tell Kurt? Would Kurt want to know? She'd want to know...at least, she was pretty sure she would. Was Kurt seeing anyone else? He never mentioned anyone in his letters. They'd spoken on the phone twice (apparently calls from Germany to New York were expensive), and he never mentioned any woman, other than his mother. He couldn't have started dating anyone.  
  
And even if he did, he'd break it off before he came back, Rogue reasoned. After all, he goes to Germany once every couple years. If he'd break off a year-and-a-half long relationship with Kitty to be in Germany for just four months, there's no way he'd stay with some other girl who he wouldn't see for probably at least a year.  
'I'm going to tell him,' Rogue decided. 'He deserves to know.'  
But she knew she'd never be able to utter those words. Not to Kurt. She left her studio and flew up to her room. She began writing her brother a letter.  
  
It was getting late. Kitty wasn't sure whether or not now would be a good time to go to Logan's room. She actually wasn't sure she would. She didn't want to fall asleep over there again. She'd never slept beside anyone other than Kurt before. She wasn't sure she liked it.  
She still hadn't made up her mind when a knock came at her bedroom door.  
"Come on in," she called, assuming it was Logan.  
"You and I got something to talk about, prom queen." That southern accent had a very disturbed tone to it. Kitty immediately tensed up.  
"Okay, Rogue. Go ahead."  
  
Logan sat in his room. Was Kitty coming tonight?  
He shook his head.  
'What are you doing with her?' he asked himself. 'She's eighteen. She just got out of a serious relationship...with the Elf.'  
Logan paced around his room for a few minutes, thinking intensely about this new relationship with Kitty. He knew she was with him simply for comfort. She wasn't in love with him or anything like that. She had been depressed, and she'd turned to him for comfort. He was fairly certain that wasn't the comfort she'd been going for, but at the time, she took whatever she could get. And at the time, it seemed right.  
But why was he with her? Why was he noticing that these girls that he used to train were becoming beautiful women? There were days when he'd catch himself just staring at Jean. There were those times when he noticed that there was a lot more to Rogue than just her bitter attitude. And he loved the way she handled the Cajun, even though he could tell she had some kind of soft spot for him.  
'It stops now,' he decided. 


	10. Confessions

NightcrawlersPryde ~ Just wait! Things are going to get even more complicated...  
  
Chapter Ten  
  
"I know about you," Rogue said. Kitty stared.  
"What about me?"  
"And Logan." The color drained out of Kitty's face.  
"How?"  
"What?"  
"How do you know?"  
"You're carrying on some kind of affair with a guy who's at least old enough to be your father, and all you have to say is how do I know?"  
"What do you, like, want me to say, Rogue?"  
"I want you to say it's not happening!"  
"Well, it happened. And it's been happening for several weeks."  
"Why, Kitty?"  
"Because."  
"How can you do this? How can you do this to my brother?"  
"Hey! Your brother *left* me, remember? I never wanted this break up. He made that decision without any regard to my feelings."  
"So this is what, payback?"  
"I don't expect you to understand, Rogue."  
"Kitty, you can't do this."  
"Why? What prevents me from doing it?"  
"I'm about to, if you keep this up."  
"Well tell me, Rogue. What would you do if, like, you were in my place?"  
"I'd wait for Kurt to come back," she said automatically.  
"You think that's what you'd do, but you'll never really know because of your powers."  
"That's not true," Rogue argued, although she knew it probably was, a little.  
"You know as well as anyone that it hasn't been easy for me," Kitty snapped. "I'm not hurting anyone, so why can't you just, like, let me live my life?"  
"Because it is hurting someone, Kitty," Rogue said. "It hurts Kurt."  
"Yeah, well, Kurt isn't here."  
"But he will be."  
"Not for another month. A little more, actually." Rogue sighed an irritated sigh.  
"So you're saying that you don't love Kurt anymore, and that you're going to be with Logan now?"  
"I didn't say that."  
"Well then tell me what the hell is going on, Kitty!"  
"It doesn't concern you, Rogue!" There was a loud knocking on the door, and Remy walked in.  
"Leave her alone, chere."  
"Remy, stay outta this," Rogue snapped.  
"No," he said. He walked over to Rogue, grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the room. "Let Petite figure her own life out."  
"But she's—" Rogue protested.  
"Sorry 'bout this, Petite," Remy said to Kitty. He shut the door behind him and Rogue.  
Kitty sighed. She hated to admit that Rogue had a point or two in that argument. So what should she do now?  
  
Rogue was furious. She glared at Remy while he lit a cigarette.  
"Who the hell do you think you are, Cajun?" she demanded.  
"What are you talking about, chere?"  
"You had no right in get involved in that conversation."  
"You were on the verge of killing her."  
"I was not!"  
  
"Maybe not kill, but you were too angry to be talking to her."  
"What am I supposed to do? Sit back and let her ruin my brother's life?"  
"She said it herself, chere. Your brother left her."  
"Remy, he still loves her. You and I already had this conversation."  
"She's depressed, Rogue. If this is the only way she's found to help herself feel better, then just let her be happy."  
"But what about when Kurt gets home? Then what? She just gonna play both of them?"  
"I think you and I both know she'll choose just one."  
"Yeah, but which?"  
  
Kitty knocked on the door, then phased in.  
"What're you doing, Half-Pint? No one's supposed to know you come here."  
"Rogue knows."  
"What?"  
"Rogue knows. And I think Remy does, too, because he's the one who, like, got her out of my room while she was screaming at me."  
"I thought I heard some commotion earlier."  
"Yeah."  
"Well, that's that, then."  
"Huh?"  
"Listen kid, we both know it isn't going anywhere."  
"Wait a minute," Kitty interrupted. "You're breaking up with me?" Logan felt a little guilty. The second time in just a few months she's been dumped.  
"I wouldn't call it breaking up," he said, choosing his words carefully.  
"No! I, like, came in here to break up with you!" Kitty giggled.  
"So you're breaking up with me, then?"  
"Well, I guess what we had wasn't exactly a relationship, anyway," Kitty said thoughtfully.  
"How about we decide to make this a mutual parting, then?" Logan suggested.  
"Okay," Kitty agreed. She leaned over and kissed him. "Just one last one for the road," she said. Logan smiled faintly, then kissed her one more time. Before anything else could happen, Kitty got up and phased back into her own room.  
  
Rogue tore up the letter she had begun writing to Kurt, telling him all about Kitty and Logan.  
"Hello?" a voice said.  
"Hi, this is Rogue," she said. "Can I speak with Kurt?" 


	11. Four

Chapter Eleven  
  
Two weeks had past since Kitty and Logan ended things. Kitty told Rogue first thing the next morning. Rogue didn't say much, but the four of them (Kitty, Logan, Rogue and Remy) agreed not to tell Jean or Scott or the professor or anyone in the mansion.  
Rogue didn't mention that she already called Kurt and told him.  
Which was why Kitty hadn't heard from him in a while.  
  
Kurt wasn't angry at her. Well, he was. But he didn't really have a right to be angry. He broke up with her so she would have the freedom to be able to do things like that.  
'I guess I just didn't expect her to actually do it,' he thought.  
He was thrilled that Rogue had called him. She said she'd just sold a painting, and she was using the money (or rather, some of it) to pay for that phone call. He was happy for her about the painting. They chatted for a few minutes, then Rogue told him that Kitty had been "seeing" Logan.  
Kurt thought that getting on that plane, leaving Kitty alone at the airport, was the worst pain he could've felt.  
He was wrong.  
'I can't just sit here like this,' he thought, shaking his head. He jumped up and started tearing through his closet and his drawers. There was only one way to fix things.  
He had to go back home. Back to her.  
  
Kitty was somewhere in between, emotionally. She wasn't as depressed as she was when Kurt had first left, but she was as happy as she was (or as she thought she was) while she was carrying on her affair with Logan. She wasn't happy, she wasn't sad. She just...was.  
Kitty had come home from a brief shopping trip, and she heard voices in the kitchen. She walked in and saw the professor, Jean and a guy she'd never seen before. He was big, and very built.  
"What's going on?" Kitty asked.  
"Kitty, this is Piotr," the professor said. "He's a mutant, as well."  
"Oh." Kitty smiled brightly. "I'm Kitty."  
"Hello, Kitty," Piotr said. He stared at her, and she could feel herself blushing.  
"So, like, what is it that you can do?" Kitty asked, knowing she was flirting right in front of the professor and Jean.  
Piotr just smiled, and before she knew it, his body was covered in metal.  
"Whoa, freaky," she said with a nervous giggle. "Are you, like, moving into the mansion?"  
"No, sad to say I am not," he told her.  
"Colossus is just visiting the professor," Jean told her. "He'll be staying for a few days."  
"Oh," Kitty said, feeling somewhat disappointed. Piotr pointed at Kitty's bag.  
"Did you go shopping?"  
"Oh, yeah."  
"What did you buy?"  
"Nothing special." Kitty pulled a pink sundress out of the bag. "Just this."  
"You will look lovely in it," Piotr told her. Kitty was blushing furiously now.  
"Thanks," she said. "Well, I'm going to, like, go to my room and hang it up now. It was nice meeting you, Piotr." She extended her hand for a shake.  
"It was nice to meet you, too, Kitty," he said. He took her hand and kissed it. Kitty giggled again, and began walking backwards. She phased right through the wall.  
On her way to the stairs, she passed Rogue.  
"Another unmarked letter for you," Rogue said. Kitty grabbed it and kept walking to the stairs. "What's the matter with you?" Kitty turned and looked at her.  
"There's a really hot guy made of metal in the kitchen," she whispered. Rogue stared at her.  
"Are you on drugs?" Rogue asked. Kitty just sighed, and continued the trip to her room. Once she made it to the top of the stairs, she heard Rogue say, "Whaddya know, there *is* a guy made of metal in the kitchen."  
Kitty hung up her new dress, then sat on her bed to open Lance's letter. His letter were coming more often now. She was wondering if he was coming back. She thought about writing him a letter and sending it to the Brotherhood's old house. Maybe by some miracle, he left a forwarding address.  
  
Dear Kitty, I know you have no way of contacting me, but I find myself looking for letters from you. Wishful thinking, huh? I thought you should know that I decided to just go ahead and finish high school. They have these courses that you take through the mail. If I'd known about this, I would've graduated a lot sooner. I'm almost finished. I just want you to know that. One day you can look back and think of me and remember that I at least tried to do something to better myself.  
Lance  
  
Short, but sweet. Lance's letters were never long. One side of a piece of paper, and that was it. It was enough, though.  
Kitty put the letter with the others, and lied down on her bed. She thought about possible reasons why Kurt hadn't written her lately. Usually he sends everyone's letters all together. Rogue, Jean, Scott and everyone got letters last week, but there wasn't one for her.  
'Is he, like, mad at me or something?' she wondered. She couldn't think of anything (that he'd know about) that she may have done to upset him.  
She got out Kurt's last letter, the one she'd been afraid to read. She read it the day after she and Logan called things off. He mainly wrote about things he did with his family. He did mention that he missed her and loved her. What changed between then and now?  
'Don't jump to conclusions," she told herself. 'It could be nothing. Maybe my letter was lost in the mail, or maybe he hadn't sent it with the others, because he wasn't finished or something.'  
That made her feel a little better.  
  
Kitty fell asleep, and was awakened by a knock on her door. She glanced over at the clock, and saw it was 7:30 at night.  
"Come in," she said. Jean opened the door.  
"Kitty, Scott and I are taking Piotr out to dinner tonight, and he requested that you join us," Jean said. "Do you want to come?"  
"Sure," Kitty said, stretching. Then she froze. "Wait. Piotr, like, specifically asked for me?" Jean grinned.  
"Yep. Right after you phased out of the room, he kept asking questions about you."  
"Wow. Okay, well, when were you, like, planning on leaving?"  
"As soon as you're ready."  
"Oh! Okay. Let me see what I have to wear." Kitty began searching through her closet.  
"Wear your new dress," Jean suggested.  
"Oh, good idea," Kitty said excitedly. She pulled it out of her closet and cut off the tags.  
"Here, let's make things go faster," Jean said. "Sit at your vanity and do your makeup. I'll fix your hair."  
"Jean, you are, like, *so* the best." Jean smiled.  
"I'm just glad to see your excited about something again."  
Kitty grinned. It felt good to be excited again.  
And she hadn't felt this excited since her first date with Kurt. 


	12. The Plan

Chapter Twelve  
  
Kitty and Piotr sat in the mansion's backyard near the pool. It was around 11 at night, and the night was warm and perfect.  
It really was perfect, too. The four of them had a really nice time that night. Jean and Scott picked out a restaurant that was nice, but not too dressy, since they were all dressed fairly casual.  
Conversation at dinner was great. There were no awkward silences, and Piotr, who'd given Kitty the impression that he was shy, came out of that shell a little bit. At the end of the meal when it came time to pay, Jean, Scott and Kitty debated how to do it (Jean and Scott wanted to pay for everything, but Kitty wanted to pay for herself), Piotr paid for all of them, as well as left a generous tip.  
After dinner, they all went out walking. It was mid July, and it was so nice outside that no one wanted to head back to the mansion just yet. Piotr and Kitty walked a few feet behind Scott and Jean. The were holding hands and walking very close together. Piotr and Kitty didn't speak, but she knew they were both watching them. Kitty couldn't help but remember nights like this, when she used to go for walks with Kurt.  
Back at the mansion, Jean and Scott went right to bed, while Kitty showed Piotr around. They ended up in the back.  
"Scott and Jean have been together for a while," Piotr said.  
"Yes, for almost four years now, I think," Kitty said.  
"They seem very much in love."  
"Oh, they are. I've, like, never seen a couple who were, like, so into each other."  
"I am sure that is not true."  
"Huh?"  
"You are a very beautiful girl, Kitty. I am sure you have been in love. Or that someone has loved you."  
"Well...yeah, I guess so." Kitty didn't feel right talking about Kurt or Lance to him.  
"Tender subject?" Kitty nodded. "Then I am sorry."  
"Don't be." Kitty gave him a small smile. Piotr smiled back. Slowly, he reached over and took her hand. She looked down, and then back up at him. Without another word, he leaned over and gently kissed her.  
  
"You understand, right?" Kurt asked his parents.  
"Kurt, you're nineteen-years-old," his father said. "We can't stop you from doing what you feel is the right thing to do."  
"Are you sure you want to shorten your visit?" his mother asked. "We hardly get to see you..."  
"I know, Mother, and I'm sorry," Kurt said. "I promise, I will come home again, soon."  
"When do you leave?" she asked.  
"In just a few days," Kurt told her. "So we still have some time left." His mother looked to the floor, disappointed. "Mother, I know this upsets you, but I have to go back. I can't lose Katzchen. And if things turn out the way I know they should, maybe I'll bring her back for Christmas." His mother's eyes lit up. Kurt had been talking about this Katzchen for going on nearly four years, but she'd never met her. Kurt had showed her pictures, and she was a lovely girl. If she really was as wonderful as her son told her, then she hoped Kurt got what he wanted.  
"Alright, son," she said finally. "As long as you come back as soon as possible." Kurt hugged his mother.  
"Thank you," he said. "I'm going to call Rogue and tell her. I want to surprise Kitty, but I think everyone else should know." His father nodded and told him to go ahead.  
  
"Phone for you, chere," Remy said, poking his head into Rogue's studio. She wiped her hands on her jeans (the only pair of jeans she owned, and they were covered with paint), and walked over to the door. Remy handed her the phone, being careful to avoid skin-to-skin contact. Once Rogue had the phone, she stared at Remy for a minute.  
"You can go now," she told him.  
"Well, it's a guy," Remy said. "Remy's got to make sure no one's moving in on you." Rogue let out an exasperated sigh.  
"Hello?" she said into the phone. "Oh, hey. Hang on a minute." She turned to Remy. "It's my brother, Gumbo. Now get out."  
"You know you love me, chere," Remy said, chuckling. Rogue picked up a little container of paint and hurled it at him. He shut the door just in time.  
"Man, I am losing my touch," she said into the phone. "First I missed you because of your porting, and I just missed Remy."  
"Well, we're just...fast."  
"Yeah, whatever. So what's up?"  
"I have some big news that I need you to pass on to everyone. Well, everyone except Kitty."  
"Oh, God. More Kitty conspiracy? You're not getting married, are you? And if you are, and you're planning on telling Kitty that yourself, can I please, please be there when you do?"  
"What? No way!" Kurt spat out. "I mean, no, I'm not getting married. I'm coming home."  
"Cool. When?"  
"I'll be home by the end of the week."  
"Wow, that's great, Kurt!"  
"Yes, but I want to surprise Kitty. So I need you to tell everyone so they know what's going on, and then I'll need some of you for my plan."  
"Okay, well what were you thinking?"  
"Well, I figured you or Jean...probably Jean, could take Kitty out somewhere, while Scott and you and Remy, if you want, come pick me up at the airport. We need to arrange it so that we get back to the mansion first. And then when jean and Kitty get back, have Jean mentally tell one of us, and then I'll pop up to Kitty's room. When they come in, you tell Kitty that she got a letter from me, and that you put it in her room. Knowing her, she'll have found something somewhere to buy and will want to put it in her room right away, so when she goes up to her room, surprise, there I am."  
Rogue paused after Kurt finished his little speech.  
"Hello? Rogue? Are you still there?"  
"You've had some time to plan this, haven't you?" she asked.  
"A little."  
"When did you decide to come back?"  
"Pretty much right after you told me about Logan. I just didn't realize I'd made the decision until earlier today. I've already called and traded in my ticket."  
"Well, I can't wait to see you. And don't worry, I'll tell everyone."  
"What's...where's...I mean—"  
"Kitty and Logan aren't sleeping together anymore."  
"Oh, thank God."  
"However, she's making out with someone in the backyard."  
"WHAT??"  
Rogue explained Piotr quickly.  
"Don't worry, he'll be gone by the time you get back."  
"But she's..."  
"Kurt, I think this may just be her way of dealing with her depression about you being gone," Rogue said. "I really don't know what's going on with her."  
"Rogue...do you think maybe I shouldn't come back?"  
"No way! You should definitely come home. She needs you. I mean...I can't believe I'm going to say this, but she's good for you, and you're good for her. Basically, you're perfect for each other, and I think she's just lost sight of that in your absence."  
"And you think things will go back to normal once I get there?"  
"*Yes.*"  
"Okay, then. Tell everyone the plan. But please make sure Kitty doesn't find out."  
"Alright."  
"I'll see you in a few days."  
"See you, Kurt." Rogue hung up the phone, and began working on her painting again.  
"I told you." Rogue whipped around.  
"Told me what, Cajun?"  
"You understand and like Petite more than you're willing to admit."  
"It's not that I like her," Rogue said. "It's that my brother does."  
"Chere, you don't need to deny it. Remy can see right through you. He can see into your mind."  
"Really? Then tell me what I'm thinking right now."  
"That you really want Remy to kiss you."  
"Ha. Guess again." Remy grinned, blew her a kiss, and left her studio.  
Rogue turned back to her painting, blushing like crazy. That *was* what she'd been thinking. 


	13. Just Friends?

Chapter Thirteen  
  
Piotr left several days later. As far as Rogue could tell, he and Kitty didn't engage in any other make out sessions. Kitty did kiss him in private before he left, but those were the only kisses exchanged. Kitty knew it was a just a little crush, and it'd be gone before she knew it. Especially since he was gone, now.  
Kurt would be home the night following Piotr's leaving. Everyone in the mansion was excited, but trying very hard to hide their enthusiasm. If Kitty even suspected that something was going on, everything would be ruined.  
  
"I can't believe Kurt's coming home tomorrow," Jean gushed.  
"Yeah, it's been real quiet here without him," Scott agreed. The two of them were in the kitchen preparing a few things for Kurt's welcome home dinner.  
"And he's making this trip simply because he misses Kitty," Jean continued. "That's so sweet."  
"I guess things are working out with them after all."  
"With the exception of Kitty's fling extravaganza," Rogue said as she entered.  
"What do you mean?" Scott asked.  
"I mean a few nights ago she was making out with Piotr," Rogue replied. She leaned back, elbows on the counter, facing Scott and Jean. "That night ya'll went out, when you came home, they went out back. I saw them through the window in my studio while I was talking to Kurt."  
"You didn't tell him that was going on, did you?" Jean asked.  
"Of course I did," Rogue replied. "I'm his sister. It's my job to remain honest with him."  
"Rogue, I understand that, and I think it's great that you want to look out for him," Jean said, "but technically, Kitty's single right now. Kurt doesn't need to know if she kissed another guy."  
"Yeah, well at least that's all that happened," Rogue said. She walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out one of Logan's beers.  
"Um, Rogue, you've got another year before you can legally drink that," Jean pointed out.  
"And Logan'll probably kill you for it, too," Scott added. Rogue looked at them both and popped the top off.  
"No, he won't," she said confidently. "He owes me." She took a long drink as she remembered Kitty's little fling with him. So that was Logan and Piotr. Plus Kurt. And then there were those mystery letters she keeps getting...  
"Any idea who those letters are from?" Rogue asked them.  
"What letters?" Scott asked.  
"Those letters to Kitty," Rogue said, taking another sip of the beer. She didn't really like the taste of it, but with everything that was going on, she couldn't believe that she hadn't started drinking sooner. "The ones with no return address on them."  
"Those aren't from Kurt?" Jean asked.  
"No, Kurt always puts the return address on his letters," Rogue reminded her.  
"Huh. I have no idea," Jean said. "I always just assumed they were from Kurt."  
"Her parents, maybe?" Scott suggested.  
"No, their envelopes are always typed," Rogue said, remembering her days of sharing a room with Kitty. "I guess they have a typewriter or something."  
"Come computer printers can do that," Jean said.  
"Whatever. My point is, when they write to her, it's typed. When Kurt writes to her, or anyone, he always puts the return address on the envelope. These have Kitty's name and address handwritten on them, and there's no clues as to who they came from."  
"Well, you've gotten the mail several times," Jean said. "What did the post mark say?"  
Rogue stared for a minute, then smacked her hand to her forehead.  
"You know, I never even thought to look."  
"Well, next time one comes in the mail, either ask Kitty who they're from, or check that and find out who she knows that lives wherever the stamp is," Scott said.  
"Or you should just ask her," Jean said. "And if she doesn't want to tell you, then don't pry."  
"I'll bet it's another guy," Rogue mumbled. She tossed the empty beer can in the trash, grabbed another, and flew to her studio.  
  
Kitty sat out in the yard by the fountain, staring up at the sky. Thoughts of the summers events had been racing through her mind all morning. She felt kind of lost for the moment. She didn't feel like she had a place anywhere. She was jumping from fling to fling, none of them even having a chance to go anywhere, because something always happens. And then there was still the thought of Kurt. She was starting to miss him more and more.  
And she missed Lance, too. And Logan, a little. Then there was Piotr. She really enjoyed the little time they did have together.  
She let out a loud sigh. She didn't realize that she wasn't alone.  
"What's wrong, Petite?" Remy was standing just a few feet away, smoking a cigarette. Kitty turned to look at him.  
"I'm nothing but a flirt," she said.  
"What are you talking about?" He walked over and sat down beside her.  
"I'm talking how I can't, like, talk to a guy without flirting with him. Every guy I've ever spoken to, I have flirted with. And it, like, got a lot worse for some reason once I moved into the mansion. I don't if it was just the comfort of being around other mutants, or what. But any guy that talked to me, I flirted with. The only guy I *didn't* ever flirt with was Scott, because from the day I met him I knew that the only person in the world that he saw as, like, a girl was Jean. The rest of us were the same or something. Like, in his eyes, he was the only guy and she was the only girl. The rest of us were, like, just *there*, you know?"  
"Remy thinks he knows what you're saying."  
"So, like, other than Scott, I flirt with everyone. And it's not that I like every guy, it's just that I don't really, like, know how to talk to guys any other way."  
"Sure you do, Petite."  
"I don't! I mean, all while Kurt and I were dating I was still flirting with Lance. Once Kurt and I broke up, I went to Logan. And then earlier this week..." She blushed.  
"What?"  
"Earlier this week when Piotr was here..."  
"You slept with him, too?"  
"No! We, like, just kissed a few times."  
"Well, there's nothing wrong with that."  
"But Remy, I want to be able to, like, be just friends with a guy, you know? I don't want to be known as the girl who flirts with everyone! I don't want to be like...Taryn."  
"Who?"  
"Never mind. A girl who graduated with Scott and Jean."  
"Remy wasn't here yet."  
"I know, that's why I said never mind."  
"Well, Petite, Remy thinks that if you stop thinking about your flirtation, you can easily find a guy to be 'just friends' with."  
"Yeah, okay."  
"Petite, you and I have been talking for the past ten minutes. You didn't flirt with Remy once." Kitty stared at him.  
"I didn't, did I?"  
"Non. So how 'bout Remy be your first friend you don't flirt with?"  
"But that'd, like, be the same thing as Scott. He only had eyes for Jean, and you only have eyes for Rogue."  
"Ah, but there is a difference, Petite," Remy said dropping an arm over her shoulders. "You said he didn't think of anyone as a girl other than Jean, non? Well, Remy may only want chere, but Remy does notice other women." Kitty laughed.  
"Okay, then. So you and I are, like, friends now. Just friends."  
"Oui." Kitty grinned.  
"You know, this may be, like, a lot easier than I thought."  
  
Rogue painted furiously. She had been working on a portrait of Kurt that she'd planned to give to him when he got home in September. But now that he was coming home about a month early, she didn't have a lot of time to finish it.  
She'd been working on it for about an hour and a half straight.  
'Break time,' she thought. She decided to go find Remy so they could get their stories straight for the following night.  
She flew down the stairs, and saw Scott and Jean in the living room. Scott was flipping through channels on the TV, and Jean was sitting next to him with a book in her lap.  
"Jean, it's summer," Rogue said. "Even you don't go to school in the summer. Stop studying and enjoy yourself."  
"I'm not studying," Jean said with a smile. "This is actually pleasure reading."  
"Alright, whatever," Rogue said. "Have you guys seen Remy anywhere?"  
"I think he went out for a cigarette," Scott said. Rogue went out the front door, but didn't see Remy anywhere. She flew up a little high and looked around the mansion.  
Over by the fountain, she saw Remy and Kitty. Remy had his arm around her.  
'Oh, *hell* no,' Rogue thought angrily. Remy then leaned over and gave Kitty a light hug, then flicked his cigarette and went back into the mansion. Kitty got up and laid down on the grass, staring at the sky. She looked...peaceful.  
'Oh, it's on now, bitch,' Rogue fumed. 'You get every guy who looks at you. But *that* one is mine.' 


	14. Action!

Ishandahalf ~ Haha, I love your review. ;) Don't worry, things are going to get worse, and hopefully write it out so that it's also very, very funny.  
  
Star-of-Chaos ~ Maybe she will [stop pushing Remy away], maybe she won't... ::evil grin::  
  
Epon04 ~ I don't know about kill, but some revenge is definitely in order, at least in Rogue's eyes.  
  
Irvin ~ Thank you so much for the e-mail! I'm glad you're enjoying it. And I'm going to turn off that No-Anonymous thing, so if you wanted to leave another review (or if someone else who doesn't have an account did), the option's now there.  
  
And the moment you've all been waiting for......  
  
Chapter Fourteen  
  
Rogue flew up to Kitty's room as fast as she could. Forget respecting other people's privacy. Things just got very, very personal.  
Rogue looked around Kitty's room. For a second, she almost wished they still shared a room again. When they used to, Rogue always knew where Kitty hid her diary, and the hiding place changed at least once a month.  
Not knowing where to really start, Rogue decided to try some of Kitty's old places. It wasn't under her mattress or in her pillowcase. It wasn't in her sock drawer, and it wasn't in the secret compartment that was under her computer chair.  
Rogue decided to just start trying random drawers. She found it on the first try.  
'God, that was actually fairly easy,' Rogue thought. 'Probably 'cause no one's around to try to steal it and read it.'  
The diary was sitting next to a silver box. Rogue remembered that box. Kitty used to keep her Lance things in it. Rogue moved the lid a little, just to see if Kitty still kept those things (and if Kurt knew if she did). And sitting in that box was a stack of letters. None of them had a return address.  
'So Lance has been writing to her. I thought he left town?'  
Rogue sat down on a chair with Kitty's diary. It was locked. Of course. Rogue sighed, then slipped her pinky under the lock and pulled up. It snapped right off. 'Thank God for these new strength powers.'  
Rogue flipped through the pages until she got to the point right after Kurt left. She didn't want to read any details of her brother's sex life with Kitty. She wasn't entirely sure they did have one, but she assumed they did. Or, had. That one time Rogue walked in on them sleeping was bad enough. It took her months to get that image out of her head.  
Rogue skimmed a few pages. A lot of them were tear stained in the beginning. The first few weeks Kurt was gone, she figured. Kitty mentioned Lance's letters in there ('So I guess I hadn't needed to look in the box,' Rogue thought). She discovered they were filled with Lance proclaiming his undying love for her, and how Kitty thought it was "sweet, but too late". She found out some information about Logan's "equipment" that she really could've lived without knowing.  
But Kitty never wrote a single word about Remy.  
'Must be a new plan,' Rogue decided. 'Everyone else rejected her, so she's moved on to him. And I'm sure after him it would've been Scott, then probably the professor.' Rogue shuddered at that thought. Professor X was like a father to them.  
Rogue put Kitty's diary away after trying to "replace" the lock, then left her room and went to her studio to think.  
'What can I do to fix this? What's the best way to make her pay for what she's doing?' Rogue couldn't seem to stop pacing. Her mind was going into over time. There had to be something she could do to show Kitty that she couldn't have every guy in the world.  
Then it came to her. It was so simple.  
The best way to get to Kitty is to take away *all* the guys from her. Lance, Piotr and Logan were no problem. Lance and Piotr were gone, and Logan pretty much made it clear that whatever had happened between him and Kitty wasn't going to happen again.  
So that just left Remy and Kurt.  
Kurt.  
He was coming home the next day to see her.  
Rogue's eyes lit up as the perfect idea came to her. How didn't she think of it before?  
She quickly flew out of her studio. She had work to do.  
  
The next day, everyone was practically bursting with excitement. Well, as bursting as they could be without making anything obvious to Kitty. She hadn't been paying much attention to anyone, anyway. She was thinking about Kurt.  
She missed him. It was causing her physical pain, now. Her little flings were just ways to deal with the depression. She knew that now. All she wanted was for Kurt to come back and for things to go back to the way they were.  
She and Remy stayed up late the previous night. They watched TV and talked about how Kitty was feeling. He helped her see that what she'd done didn't make her a terrible person, it just meant she was sad. She told him a little bit more about Rogue. They spent hours talking about how if things worked out for everyone involved, then one day they might be related. Kitty had laughed about that, and Remy actually blushed. Kitty could clearly see that if there was a way, Remy would've married Rogue the day he'd met her.  
"I think the professor's working with her," Kitty told him. "I think he and Forge are trying to come up with device that disables her powers or something. Like, you know how Kurt has his image reducer? I think they're trying to make something like that. It would, like, let her be able to touch people, if only for a few minutes."  
"Well, I hope they get that one figured out," Remy told her.  
Rogue had seen the two of them sitting together talking. She couldn't hear what they were talking about, though. She did notice their body language, though, and it was odd. Kitty wasn't touching him or anything. She didn't even look like she was being her flirty self.  
'Must be a new technique she's trying.' It motivated Rogue ever more. She went to her room and made a phone call.  
  
After lunch that day, Jean asked Kitty to go shopping with her.  
"You have such a great eye for style and color," Jean told her. "I could really use your opinions."  
"Sure, okay!" Kitty agreed. She never needed an excuse to go shopping.  
"Great! Leave in about an hour?"  
"Perfect!" Kitty went up to her room. She had to straighten it up a little, and then she had to get ready.  
"Step one, get Kitty out of the house, check!" Jean grinned. Scott smiled back at her.  
"Okay, so Professor, you and Logan are going to stay here and try to cause some diversion in case we get back before Kurt, right?" Jean asked.  
"Yes, of course," the professor answered.  
"Okay, who's coming to the airport?" Rogue asked. "Besides me and Scott."  
"Remy?" Scott asked.  
"Anywhere chere is, Remy follows," he answered, taking Rogue's gloved hand and kissing it. She yanked her hand away.  
"Whatever you say, Cajun," she snapped. She knew she had to be nice to him, especially if her plan was going to work, but she couldn't help feeling a little angry. Still, it made her a little happy to know that he was still interested, even with Kitty coming after him.  
"Jean, how long do you think you can keep Kitty distracted with shopping?" Scott asked.  
"I'm taking her to the mall, Scott," Jean said. "How long do you think?"  
"Okay, that will buy us at least four hours," Scott said. "And if you leave in an hour, and then we leave half an hour after you and it takes us another hour to get to the airport, and we wait about twenty minutes to collect Kurt and all his stuff, plus get it all into the X-van, then another hour back..."  
"Then we should get back at least an hour before Jean and Kitty do," Rogue finished.  
"...Right." Scott shook his head. "Alright, let's get a move on, people! We don't have a lot of time left." 


	15. Reunion

Chapter Fifteen  
  
"You're hair, like, way too bright to wear red," Kitty told Jean. "Too much red will clash."  
"Hmm. So what would you suggest?"  
"Green. It'll, like, totally bring out your eyes as well as accent your hair."  
"See, this is why I needed you with me." Jean pretty much knew every bit of advice Kitty was giving her, but she wanted to take as much time as necessary.  
"Here, try this." Kitty handed Jean and green tank top. "It comes in dark blue, which will also look good with your hair."  
  
Scott pulled into the airport parking lot.  
"I really hope this doesn't take too long," he said. "I didn't bring that much cash to pay for parking."  
"I have some," Rogue said. "Quit worrying."  
"Ah, you're always prepared, aren't you, chere?"  
'Okay, this is your chance to not be a bitch,' Rogue told herself. She forced out a mysterious smile.  
"I try to be," she said. Remy smiled back.  
"Alright, come on," Scott said. "Kurt's plane landed ten minutes ago."  
"Yeah, it takes the plan at least fifteen minutes to actually get to the terminal so everyone can get off the plane," Rogue said. "So we've still got five minutes."  
"Let's just go!" Scott hurried off.  
"What's he in such a rush for?" Rogue asked Remy.  
"He just wants to make sure things go as planned, chere. Kurt went through a lot of trouble to make this perfect for Petite."  
"Yeah, everyone's wrapped up in what makes that girl happy," Rogue muttered.  
"What's wrong, chere?"  
"Nothing. Let's go catch up with Scott."  
  
"Ah, mid-shopping snack," Jean sighed. She and Kitty sat down at a table in the food court. Jean had a pretzel with a side of cheese, while Kitty chose mustard. The both had diet Cokes.  
"Ugh, how can you eat that with mustard?" Jean cringed. Kitty laughed, then raised her cup.  
"To each her own," she said. Jean laughed, too, and tapped Kitty's cup with her own.  
"So how've you been lately, Kitty?" asked Jean.  
"What do you mean?"  
"Well...you know, you were so sad when Kurt left, and then you got happy all of a sudden, then you sunk back into depression, and the you perked up a little when Piotr was here...so I'm just wondering how you're doing now."  
"Piotr was really nice," Kitty said with a smile.  
"Yeah, and he seemed to really like you."  
"I like him, too. But I don't think it'd, like, ever turn into anything, you know? He as just a really nice guy, and if I'd met him, like, when I was older and like, there was no chance for me and Kurt, then I'd probably totally consider dating him." She took a sip of her drink. "And he's, like, a really good kisser."  
"Kitty!" Jean laughed. Kitty grinned.  
"But seriously, I guess I'm, like, doing okay. Not good, but not bad. I'm just...dealing. Getting used to being alone."  
"Oh, Kitty, you're not going to be alone forever."  
"I know, but it might as well be. Kurt's not coming home for, like, another month or whatever, and I don't know how he's going to feel once he does get back. I mean, what if he met a girl over there? Like, a really pretty mutant girl, and he brings her back here? Jean, I don't think I could handle that."  
"I wouldn't worry about that, Kitty," Jean said, trying to choose the right words. "I mean, why worry about that right now?"  
"I know I shouldn't, but I do." Kitty sighed. "You know those letters I've been getting? The ones without the return address?"  
"Yeah."  
"Lance has been writing to me."  
"Wow." Jean wasn't expecting to hear that. "Have you written back to him?"  
"No, I don't know how to contact him."  
"Oh...so why'd you bring it up?"  
"I don't know. I guess I've just been thinking a lot about him, since Kurt's gone. I thought about trying to write to him. Sending it to the Brotherhood house. Lance is kind of smart,. He might have left a forwarding address. If for no other reason than in hopes that I, like, would try to write, you know?"  
"Do you really want to talk to him?"  
"I'm not sure. I don't know if I want to talk to him because I, like, actually *want* to, or if I'm just lonely."  
"Well, you know how your relationship with him was the best, so that's your decision. But you also know that all of us, your friends who know you better than anyone, never thought he was right for you."  
"Yeah...When we first started dating I thought, like, everything would always be that perfect, you know? But they weren't. Then I was nervous when I started dating Kurt, because everything was perfect with him, too, and I was afraid it would go away. But it never did. Well, until he left."  
"I don't think you should make any decisions until you've fully figured out your feelings," Jean said. She wanted to tell Kitty to choose Kurt, but she knew that wasn't the best idea. Not yet, anyway.  
But Kitty just nodded in agreement.  
"Come on, we've still got more shopping to do," Jean said. They got up, threw away their trash, and went off.  
  
Rogue threw her arms around her brother.  
"I think you got taller," she told him.  
"Or maybe you just got shorter," he joked. She laughed and lightly punched him on the arm.  
"It's good to see you, Kurt," she said. "I missed you."  
"I missed you, too, sis," he said.  
"Hey, there are other people here to see you, too, Kurt," Scott said. Kurt laughed.  
"Oh, Scott, I missed you so much!" Kurt said. He pretended to tear up, and he threw his arms around Scott. "Hold me!"  
"Hey, hey," Scott said laughing. "We're in public."  
Remy hung back, not saying much. He hadn't been at the institute as long as the rest of them. He'd only been there for about two years, and he preferred to keep to himself. With the exception of Rogue, and now his new friend Kitty.  
Rogue noticed him, and approached him.  
"Why're you being anti-social?" she asked.  
"This is your moment, chere," he said. "Yours, your friends, and Petite's."  
"Why do you keep mentioning her?" Rogue wanted to punch herself. She shouldn't have said that.  
"Well, she's the reason we're here picking up your brother. She's the reason your brother came back a month early. Basically, this whole day is because of her."  
"Hmm. Well, maybe everyone should stop treating her like she's a queen. All this attention and people doing everything for her's gonna spoil her and turn into a bitch." Remy laughed.  
"You have such a way with words, chere."  
"Okay, well let's get going!" Kurt said. "I need to see her as soon as possible!" Rogue rolled her eyes. They went over to baggage claim to grab his bags, then loaded them into the van. Kurt sat up front and chatted with Scott about Germany. Rogue sat in the back, as close to Remy as she safely could.  
  
Jean and Kitty were loading all their shopping bags into Jean's car when her cell phone rang.  
"Hello?" Jean said.  
"Hey, it's me."  
"Hi, Scott."  
"We're back."  
"Yes, we had a successful trip."  
"Kitty doesn't suspect anything, does she?"  
"No, I didn't buy everything in the mall. And neither did Kitty. Although I did have to stop her."  
"So you're on your way back?"  
"Yes, we're leaving right now."  
"Okay, well when you pull up, communicate with me and tell me you're home, so Kurt can pop up to Kitty's room."  
"Alright, I'll stop and get Remy some cigarettes."  
"I love you."  
"Love you, too, Scott."  
"Aw, you guys are, like, too cute," Kitty said. Jean let out a silent sigh of relief. Kitty still didn't suspect anything.  
  
"They're here," Scott said about twenty minutes later.  
"Make sure she goes to her room!" Kurt said excitedly, and he teleported. The professor, Logan, Rogue, Scott and Remy were left in the living room. Logan was sitting in one chair, Scott in another, and Remy and Rogue were sitting on the couch. The professor, of course, was in his wheel chair between the couch and Logan's chair.  
Jean and Kitty came into the mansion, all four arms covered with shopping bags.  
"What in the hell did you *buy*?" Rogue asked.  
"Just enough to get me through the rest of the summer," Kitty replied.  
"Oh. So you'll be back at the mall next week?"  
"Yeah, probably."  
"New shoes, Petite?" Remy asked.  
"Oh, yeah! Do you like them?" Kitty stuck out one of her shoes. "They were, like, on sale and so cute. I just had to wear them out of the store."  
"Very nice," Remy said. Rogue moved herself closer to him.  
"Kitty, some mail came for you today," Scott said.  
"Awesome, where is it?"  
"Put it up stairs on your bed, Half-Pint," Logan said.  
"Thanks," Kitty smiled. "Okay, well I, like, have to go put my bags up there anyway."  
Jean sat down on Scott's lap, and they all watched as Kitty walked up the stairs.  
  
Kurt paced around Kitty's room. He heard her and Jean come in. He heard her voice, and it took everything he had in him not to port down right then and there. But he stayed where he was.  
He heard footsteps outside. He sat down on her bed and took a deep breath. He wasn't even sure if she'd use the door or phase.  
'Phase,' he decided. 'She just came back from the mall; there's no way she has a free hand.'  
Sure enough, in just a few minutes Kitty phased into her room.  
"Hello, Katzchen." Kitty stopped and dropped all her bags.  
"......Kurt?" He smiled. She squeezed her eyes shut. "I've had this dream before. I've had this image before. Close my eyes, count to five, and it'll be gone. One. Two. Three. Four. Five." She opened her eyes.  
"I'm still here, Kitty."  
"Oh, my God." Kitty walked over to Kurt. She reached over and touched his face. "...You're really here?"  
"Yes."  
Kitty screamed. It was a loud, ear-piercing scream, too. Everyone down stairs stared at each other, then started laughing. Scott wondered if Kurt could still hear.  
Kitty threw her arms around Kutt and buried her face in his neck. Tears poured out of her eyes.  
"Oh my God, I can't believe you're back!" Kurt squeezed her, trying to control his own emotions. Kitty pulled back slightly. "Wait. Why are you home? You still have, like, another month."  
"I couldn't be away from you for another day," he said. Kitty squealed again, and then phased them both down to the living room.  
"Were you guys, like, all in on this?" she cried. Everyone smiled and nodded. Except Rogue, who looked over at the clock. 'What is taking so long?' she thought.  
Sure enough, within the next fifteen minutes, there was a knock at the door. Everyone looked around.  
"Is anyone expecting someone?" the professor asked. No one said anything.  
"Kurt, why don't you get the door?" Rogue said. "You haven't answered it in months."  
"Alright, fine," Kurt said with a laugh. He squeezed Kitty's hand, turned on his image inducer, and popped over to the door. Kitty collapsed on the couch next to Rogue.  
"I can't believe he's back," she sighed dreamily. "Everything's, like, practically back to normal."  
'That's what you think,' Rogue thought to herself.  
Kurt opened the door.  
"Hi, Kurt."  
"Amanda?" 


	16. Painful Deceit

NOTE: Just wanted to say two things. One, thank you so much for reading!! I didn't advertise anywhere or anything, so I didn't think anyone would read it, but I see I'm wrong, and I'm so, so happy about that. Second, if the chapters seem to slow down a little now, that's because I only planned up to chapter 13. Everything after that I made up on the spot. I had no idea when I started writing this story that Amanda was going to come back. So basically, you guys will find out what happens only a few minutes after I do. I know most of you are irritated that I brought Amanda back. Hell, I'm the one writing it, and that pissed me off, lol. But on the bright side of the issue, no one likes to read a predictable story. And really, how many of you saw that coming? ;) Thanks again for reading and leaving me reviews, guys. You're the best!  
  
Chapter Sixteen  
  
"Amanda? What are you doing here?" Kurt asked, surprised.  
"Well, I was in Bayville, so I thought I'd stop by and see my favorite person in the world," Amanda cooed. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"  
"Uh...sure...come on it." Kurt moved aside and let Amanda walk in. "Hey everybody, look who's here," he announced uneasily.  
"Amanda? What're you doing here?" Scott asked.  
"Who's Amanda?" Remy whispered to Rogue.  
"Kurt's old girlfriend," Rogue whispered back.  
Jean's eyes were wide with horror at the sight of Amanda. Her timing couldn't have been worse. Then she looked over at Kitty.  
Kitty's face was white. And she looked like she was going to be sick any minute.  
Logan got up and left the room. Too much drama for his taste.  
"Since when did we start living in an episode of Melrose Place?" he mumbled as he left the room.  
Professor X looked over at Kitty.  
'Stay calm, Kitty,' he mentally told her. 'I'm sure she won't be staying long.'  
'Yeah, well can you jump in her head and find out?'  
'If it gets to the point where I feel I need to do that, then yes, I will. But not right now.'  
Rogue watched as Kitty's face got paler and paler. She started to feel a little guilty. She hadn't expected Kitty to get that worked up over it. After all, she was after Remy, wasn't she?  
Rogue had called Amanda and told her that Kurt had been talking a lot about her.  
"He's in Germany right now," Rogue told her. "But he'll be home soon. And I thought that if you were willing to make the trip, he'd love to see you."  
"You know, I've been thinking a lot about him, too," Amanda said. "I miss him a lot. I would love to come visit."  
"Great! But just one thing. Don't tell anyone I called you. Act like it was just a spur of the moment decision, and that you decided to surprise all of us with a visit. Kurt'll kill me if he knows I contacted you."  
"Don't worry, you're secret's safe with me."  
At least part of what Rogue told her was true. Kurt *would* kill her if he found out she was the reason Amanda was there, ruining his reunion with Kitty.  
"How long are you staying?" Kurt asked.  
"A couple days," Amanda answered. "But maybe more, if things seem to go well." She linked her arm through Kurt's and nuzzled his shoulder. Jean looked over at Kitty, who looked like she was about to go up in flames.  
"Are you, like, planning on staying *here*?" Kitty asked.  
"Yes, if it's no trouble," Amanda said, batting her eyes at the professor.  
"No, Amanda, you are welcome here," Professor X said. He could hear Kitty screaming in her head.  
She didn't scream out loud, though. Instead, she got up.  
"Excuse me," Kitty said. "I just, like, remembered I have to be somewhere." She walked towards the front door, phasing right through Amanda.  
"Kitty—" Kurt began. But Kitty just waved at him from over her shoulder and phased right out the door.  
"Kurt, why don't you show Amanda to a spare room?" the professor said. Kurt nodded, and led Amanda to the stairs.  
"I'd teleport you," he said, "but you should be able to find your way around better if we walk." Amanda laughed.  
"Well, I'm right behind you," she said. The trotted up the stairs.  
"Why is she here, Professor?" Scott asked.  
"I don't know."  
"Well, why didn't you get into her head?" Scott kept on. "I mean, she just shows up here out of nowhere with no warning? And on the day that Kurt came back? That can't be a coincidence."  
"I agree, Scott. But I don't want to violate the girl. I'm sure we'll all find out what's going on soon enough." The professor wheeled away.  
"I'm going to check on Petite," Remy said, and he walked out. Rogue tensed up, and flew to her studio, muttering curses at Kitty.  
"I can't believe this!" Scott said. "After all the trouble we went through! Especially Kurt! He had what, three minutes with Kitty?"  
"Yeah," Jean said quietly.  
"And poor Kitty. Did you see how fast she got out of here?"  
"Yeah."  
"I just wish I knew why Amanda decided to show up now of all times." Jean sighed.  
"Because Rogue told her to."  
  
"Petite?"  
Kitty turned her head back and saw Remy standing just a few feet away.  
"You can sit down," she said. "I promise not to lecture you on cancer or anything." He sat down beside her, trying to make sure none of his cigarette smoke blew into her face.  
"You alright, Petite?"  
"No!"  
"Rogue said this Amanda was his last girlfriend, no?"  
"Yeah."  
"And you don't like her?"  
"What? Oh, no, Amanda's great. She knows we're mutants, she knows what Kurt really looks like, and she, like, stuck around anyway."  
"Sounds like a nice girl."  
"She is."  
"You just don't want her here."  
"Right."  
"Well, she's only staying a few days, Petite. She'll be gone before you know it."  
"She said maybe more."  
"If things go well between her and Kurt, I assume. And he came home from Germany a whole month early. For you."  
"Yeah."  
"Cheer up, Petite. I'm sure he's telling her right now that his heart belongs to you."  
"You know, I have no idea if, like, Amanda even knows we dated. I was still with Lance when she moved."  
"Kurt will tell her."  
  
"Amanda, you never answered me."  
"Answered what?"  
"Why are you here?"  
"Yes, I did. I was in Bayville."  
"What were you doing in Bayville? And without a place to stay?" Amanda blushed.  
"Alright, fine. You caught me. I came here specifically to see you."  
"I just got back from Germany today. How did you know that I'd even be here?"  
"I guess you and I just...connect." Amanda smiled and touched his cheek. It was nice. Or familiar, at least. But it wasn't Kitty's hand. "I really missed you, Kurt. And I was thinking that maybe, now that we're both out of high school, and I'm no longer being controlled by my parents, that maybe we could pick things up from where we left off."  
"I don't know about that, Amanda."  
"Why? Do you have another girlfriend?" She giggled.  
"Well, yes, actually."  
"What?" Rogue hadn't told her that. "Who?"  
"Well, technically we're not together anymore," Kurt said, trying to explain. "But I came back from Germany a month early so I could get back with her. I've heard she was terribly depressed while I was gone, and I was depressed being away from her...I mean, look at me. I've lost three pounds."  
"Who is she?"  
"Well...Kitty." 


	17. Discoveries

Chapter Seventeen  
  
Rogue had spent the past three hours painting non stop. She was overwhelmed with emotions, a mix of satisfied, guilty, depressed, ecstatic and ashamed all at the same time.  
She was satisfied that Kitty finally knew what it was like to not always get the guy.  
She felt guilty, because she could see now that by bringing Amanda into the picture, she didn't just hurt Kitty, who she really had grown to love (despite her recent actions), but her brother as well.  
She was depressed because after all that work she did, Remy still went after Kitty when she stormed (or rather, phased) out of the mansion.  
And she was ashamed because it wasn't like her to do things like that.  
  
Kitty leaned her head on Remy's shoulder, and he wrapped his arm around hers.  
"Do you think he'll, like, choose her?" she asked.  
"Over you, Petite? Never."  
"Really?"  
"Of course."  
"Because, like, you weren't around when they dated, so you don't really, like, know what their relationship was like or anything..."  
"But Remy knows what his relationship with you was like."  
"Do you think you and Rogue will ever be like that?"  
"Well, first chere has to admit how she feels, no?" Remy laughed, and Kitty nodded.  
"You know she's, like, totally into you," she said sitting up.  
"Remy knows all women are into him." Kitty punched him lightly on the arm.  
"You're incredibly self-confident."  
"I know." Kitty giggled and shook her head.  
"I wish I was."  
"You stress too much, Petite."  
"Well, it's that Kurt and Amanda have been in there for, like, hours. And he hasn't even been home all that long, and I, like, really want to spend some time with him, you know? I mean, everyone said that he came home early for me, right? Well, then why isn't he telling her to, like, leave so can try to fix our relationship?"  
"Things aren't always that easy, Petite."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Are you ready to tell him what you've been up to since he's been gone?" Kitty sucked in her breath. She hadn't even thought about that.  
"Do you think I should?" she asked. "I mean, we technically weren't together when...all that was going on." She knew Remy knew about Logan, which now that she looked back on she wasn't that proud of, but she didn't think anyone knew about Piotr.  
"Technically, you're not together now, no?"  
"No, we're not..." Kitty sighed. "Thanks for, like, listening, Remy. I think I'm going to crash now. I'm pretty tired."  
"Sweet dreams, Kitty."  
  
"Since when did you and Kitty think about each other that way?" Kurt sighed.  
"I've always thought about her that way, Amanda. Since the day I met her."  
"But you and I went out after you met her."  
"I know."  
"So wait...you're telling me that all while you and I were dating, you were secretly wishing you were with *her*?!"  
"No! I loved going out with you, Amanda. Really. And I wouldn't trade it for anything."  
"So what did you mean when you said you'd always liked her? Why didn't you date her sooner?"  
"There were other things involved that made it complicated."  
"Like me?"  
"No, I never thought of you as a complication."  
"Well, then like what?"  
"Like Lance Alvers. Like the fact that when we first met she was terrified of me. Like we became best friends, and neither of us wanted to ruin things."  
"So what made you finally decide to try it out?"  
"Shortly after you moved away, Kitty broke up with Lance."  
"Why?"  
"I don't know, she never told me."  
"Okay, so then what?"  
"She broke up with him, she came home extremely upset, and I did everything I could to help her feel better. Before I knew what was happening, we kissed, and within the next few weeks we started dating. A year and a half later we broke up before I left for Germany, and then I came home today. To get her back."  
"So when in all this were you going around talking about how much you missed me?"  
"What? Who told you that?" Amanda felt her face turn scarlet. She wasn't supposed to have mentioned what Rogue told her.  
  
"Rogue told her that?"  
"Yes," Jean said.  
"How do you know?" Scott asked.  
"Scott, you know I don't abuse my gift," Jean said. "Ever. But something just seemed off. Amanda showed up just minutes after Kitty and I got back. And did you notice how Rogue suggested that Kurt be the one to answer the door?"  
"So what, you went into Rogue's head?"  
"Are you kidding? She'd kill me in my sleep. I went into Amanda's."  
"And?"  
"I'm not proud of doing it."  
"Jean, I know you never take advantage of what you can do. This was a special case where you didn't trust the situation."  
"Exactly."  
"So now that that's on the record, what did you find out?"  
"I guess Rogue called Amanda and told her to make a 'surprise' visit today."  
"Why would Rogue do that?"  
"I don't know. I'm guessing Rogue didn't tell Amanda her reasoning. Although Amanda did seem to think that Kurt wanted to see her."  
"So you think Rogue told Amanda to come because Kurt wanted her to?"  
"I think so."  
"Alright. So why would Rogue tell her that?"  
"That's something we'll have to ask Rogue."  
"Are you volunteering?"  
"No way."  
Kitty phased in through the door just then, Remy right behind her.  
"But those two are," Jean said with a grin. 


	18. Things Just Got a Little Easier

Chapter Eighteen  
  
"We're what?" Kitty asked.  
"The two of you are going to talk to Rogue," Jean said.  
"Why?" Kitty asked.  
Jean filled them in on what was going on.  
"WHAT?!" Kitty fumed. "Rogue told Amanda to come here to get Amanda back? Why would she do that?"  
"We don't know," Scott said. "That's what you two are going to find out."  
"Shouldn't Kurt be there, too?" Remy asked. "And probably Amanda as well?"  
"Maybe not Amanda," Jean said thoughtfully. "Rogue should probably tell Amanda one-on-one. Either that, or Kurt should tell her. But you're right, Kurt needs to be there when you two discuss thing with Rogue."  
"Okay, so, like, what are we waiting for?" Kitty asked. "Where are they?" Jean began concentrating.  
"Rogue's in her studio," she said. "Kurt's with Amanda in a guest room."  
"Tell Kurt to meet us in Rogue's studio, then," Kitty said. "And I guess you should, like, tell Rogue we're coming." Jean nodded, and began her telepathic communication.  
  
"Who told you that, Amanda?" Kurt asked. "Who told you that I was saying I missed you?"  
"So you haven't missed your first girlfriend at all? That's really nice," Amanda said, trying to turn her slip up around on him.  
"Amanda, of course I missed you," Kurt said. "Just...not in that way. I wish things had been different and that you'd never moved. I wish that we'd broken up on good terms and that we were still friends—"  
"Wait a minute. You're saying that if I had stayed here, we would've broken up?"  
"Eventually, probably, yes."  
"Why would you think that?"  
"Amanda, there were so many complications in our relationship..."  
"Like the fact that every time you kissed me you were thinking about Kitty?"  
"No! You're crazy!"  
"Am I?"  
  
"Yes! You're putting words into my mouth. I never thought about Kitty while I was with you."  
"You told me you two were just friends."  
"While we were dating, we *were* just friends. But things change over time."  
"You said that you liked her since you met her."  
"I did."  
"So then explain to me how you two were 'just friends' if you've always liked her, and then you were dating me?" Kurt sighed. She certainly wasn't making this easy. What happened to the sweet, understanding Amanda that he'd known?  
"I guess I was able to suppress my feelings for Kitty while I was with you."  
"Even when you had to see Lance Alvers parading around school with her on his arm?" Kurt inhaled sharply. He didn't think she'd ever noticed.  
"Yes, even then," he lied.  
"Kurt, you know I can tell if you're lying. It killed you every time she walked by with Lance. Every time she walked away in the middle of a conversation be with him, every time she kissed him, every time she said hello to him, it tore you up."  
"How do you know that?"  
"I'm not Kitty," Amanda retorted. "I wasn't blind."  
"So then if you thought I had feelings for her, why did you stay with me?" Kurt asked.  
"Because I didn't think she shared your feelings," Amanda said honestly. "I thought she and Lance would be together until one of their friends killed the other." Kurt gasped. "Relax, Kurt, I wasn't serious. I just meant that I figured until Lance's buddies talked him into ditching her because she's on the other side, or until one of you guys here finally forbade Kitty to see him any longer."  
"Scott was coming close," Kurt admitted.  
"Right. So I figured those two were just so madly in love that they'd just stay together forever. And that's why it didn't even bother me that you always had that longing look in your eyes whenever you saw her. I honestly didn't think you had a chance with her."  
"Gee, thanks."  
  
"Kurt, you know what I mean."  
"Yeah, I know." Amanda went over and sat on the bed, leaving Kurt still standing near the closed door.  
"I guess I knew that you never really loved me," she said softly, staring at the floor. "You had her up on such a high pedestal. I felt a lot of times that I was being compared to her. And while I didn't quite measure up, I was the next best thing, so you were just settling on me."  
Kurt didn't say anything. It was true, he thought the world of Kitty, from the day he met her. And he still did. Maybe he was always comparing Amanda to her. And maybe he never did really love her, maybe she was just the closest thing to Kitty that he could find.  
"I did love you, Amanda," he said finally. She looked over at him.  
"I know you did," she said. "Just...not the way I loved you. Not the way you love her."  
"I guess not," he said sullenly. He walked over and joined her on the bed. He put his arm around her shoulder, and she leaned her head on him.  
"I really did miss you, though," she said.  
"I guess in a way I missed you, too."  
"Do you think we should try to be just friends? And actually talk to each other, I mean? Through letters and phone and e-mail and everything?"  
"Yeah, I do. I think we could be great friends."  
"Maybe we could even become as close as you and Kitty were, before I left," Amanda said with a chuckle.  
"Just without the aftermath," Kurt said.  
"Right. We'll just do it backwards. You and Kitty were great friends, then dated. You and I dated, now we'll be great friends."  
"Sounds like a perfect plan."  
"I guess I should go, then."  
"You don't want to stay?"  
"I don't think I really should. I mean, like you said, you just got back today. I'm sure Kitty's not thrilled that I'm here, and I'll bet she wants some of your time."  
"Yeah, you're probably right."  
"I'll catch a train back home. And I'll write to you when I get there, too." Kurt smiled.  
"Alright." Amanda picked up her bags and started towards the door. "Oh, Amanda?" She stopped and turned.  
"Yeah?"  
"Are you going to tell me who told you to come here?" Amanda smiled.  
"No," she said. "I don't want to cause any more arguments."  
"No one's arguing."  
"Well, I have a feeling you and Kitty might have it out."  
"Oh, right."  
"And I don't want you to fight with anyone else. I'm sure the truth will come out in time. And by then, I'll bet things are perfect for you once again, so you won't even get angry."  
"I hope so." Amanda smiled. She dropped her bags, walked back over to Kurt and wrapped her arms around him. He hugged her back, grateful that she resumed her sweet personality. This was the Amanda he remembered.  
She kissed his cheek, picked her bags back up, and was gone.  
Kurt laid back on the bed.  
'Why could have told her that?' he wondered. Just then, he heard Jean's voice in his head.  
'Kurt? Kitty and Remy need you to meet them and Rogue in Rogue's studio.'  
'Okay. When?'  
'They're on their way right now.'  
'Alright, so am I.'  
*BAMF.* 


	19. The Fight

Chapter Nineteen  
  
Rogue put down her paintbrush and looked at her canvas. It was a mess, a mixture of colors. Black, blue, red and green. It didn't look like anything. Just chaotic.  
'Like my head,' Rogue thought. She could clearly see in this mess she called a painting every emotion she was feeling. There was the depression, the guilt, the bitterness. She wasn't sure what she'd do with it now that it was finished. She stood up and took a few steps back to examine it. It wasn't good, that was for sure. But it showed raw emotion. That was the point of painting, after all.  
'I need to tell the truth,' she realized. She groaned out loud. She hated apologizing. She hated being wrong.  
But she was.  
And she had to admit it. And not just to herself, but to all of them.  
'I'd rather drive dull knives into my eyes, then go through twn consecuatibe hours of Logan's sessions.'  
Suddenly, Kurt appeared in the studio. Rogue screamed slightly.  
"Dammit, Kurt! You've gotta start knocking or something! Wear a bell around your neck!"  
"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."  
"Eh, it's not your fault. I guess I'm just not used to it anymore. Give me a few days." Rogue started tossing paintbrushes into cups of clean water so they could soak. "What brings you here?"  
"I'm not sure," he answered. Rogue gave him a confused look. Just as Kurt was about to explain, there was a knock at the door.  
"Come—" Before Rogue could finish, Kitty phased it. Remy opened the door and walked in.  
"What's going on?" Rogue asked. She and Kurt were standing next to each other, facing Kitty and Remy, whose backs were to the door. No one said anything at first. Then Kitty let out an infuriated scream, and leaped towards Rogue. Rogue took a step back, almost knocking over some paint. Remy went after Kitty, grabbed her waist and pulled her back. He kept a firm grip on her, which wasn't easy since she was kicking and swinging.  
"Easy, Petite," he told her. "Fighting gets you nowhere."  
"Kitty! What are you doing?!" Kurt asked at the same time.  
"What in the hell is your problem, Cat?" Rogue asked.  
"You! You...you...psycho!" Kitty spat out. Rogue looked at her, then pulled off a glove and started towards her. Kurt grabbed her arm and pulled her back.  
"Rogue!" he lectured.  
"She started it!" Rogue said, ignoring the fact that she sounded like a nine-year-old.  
"I, like, so did not!" Kitty shot back. "You did when you contacted Amanda!"  
"What?!" Kurt let go of Rogue's arm and looked at her, but Rogue was glaring at Kitty.  
"Who told you that?" she asked. Kitty didn't say anything. She didn't want to rat out Jean.  
"Where is Amanda now?" Kitty asked Kurt.  
"She left," he told her.  
"What?" Rogue asked. "Why?"  
"She seemed to be under the impression that I wanted her to come here."  
"But how did she, like, know that you were coming home today?" Kitty asked smugly.  
"Chere, you want to say something?" Remy asked. Rogue stared at the floor.  
"Rogue? Do you know anything about Amanda's visit?" Kurt asked her.  
"Alright!" Rogue burst out. "Fine! I called Amanda! I told her to come here, and I told her to come today, after you got back to the mansion."  
"Why?" Kurt asked.  
"Because I wanted you two to get back together."  
"Why?" Kurt asked again.  
"Because Prom Queen over there was whoring herself around! She didn't seem all that broken up about you, the love of her life, being gone. And she went after Gambit, the one person she really, *really* shouldn't have gone after!"  
Rogue realized too late what she'd said.  
She just admitted that she had feelings for Remy LeBeau.  
Remy gave Rogue an amused look.  
Kurt was standing there in complete shock.  
Kitty was fuming.  
"'Whoring' myself around?" she repeated. Rogue rolled her eyes.  
"You heard me, Cat," she said simply.  
"Wait, wait, wait," Kurt said, shaking his head. "I'm so confused."  
"I'm not," Remy said. He approached Rogue and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Chere's jealous." She pushed his arm off her.  
"Of all people, you should know what she's like," Rogue said to him accusingly. "Why would you go after her?"  
"Who said I was?"  
"Oh, please! I've seen the two of you together! You're always together, and you're always all over each other!"  
"What? Rogue, you're crazy!" Kitty exclaimed. She would've laughed if she hadn't been so angry.  
"Oh, am I? Then explain to me what you're always doing when you're together."  
"We're, like, just hanging out, Rogue," Kitty said. "Not that we, like, owe you an explanation or anything, but we're just friends." Rogue walked over to Kitty and looked her right in the eye.  
"You have no idea how to be 'just friends' with a member of the opposite sex, Kitty," she said. "You flirt. Flirting is what you do. You flirt until you end up in their arms, or wherever, and then when either you walk away or they throw you away, you move on to another victim. Some guy who'll fall in love with everything about you, until the day you screw him over, or until he realizes that you're just a flake and he can do better."  
Kitty stared at her, tears building up in her eyes.  
"That was harsh, Rogue," she whispered.  
"Yeah, well the truth hurts," Rogue snapped back. Kitty didn't say anything. She just phased through the floor.  
"Kitty, wait!" Kurt tried to stop her, but she didn't listen. He looked at Rogue. "You and I are going to talk about this later, sis. I have to go find her now." He teleported. Remy looked over at Rogue.  
"Was that really necessary, chere?"  
"Yes."  
"Why?"  
"Because, she—she—" Rogue couldn't bring herself to say the words now.  
"You really think Remy wants anyone other than you?" he asked her. She glanced down at the ground.  
"You were spending a lot of time with her," she said quietly. "And after what had happened over the summer, I didn't trust her."  
"She had one little fling. That don't mean anything."  
"No, she wasn't just all over Logan. I didn't tell you this, but she was making out with Piotr, too."  
"Really? He don't seem like her type."  
"Oh, and Wolverine is?"  
"I think he probably reminded her of that first boyfriend she had. The one I never met, right before your brother?"  
"Lance? You think Logan reminded her of Lance?"  
"You said Lance was a dangerous type, no?"  
"Well, yeah, I guess."  
"And so is Logan."  
"Alright, well fine. But that doesn't give her an excuse to have been making out with Piotr."  
"She was a single girl, chere. She was free to do what she wanted."  
"Did you know that Lance had been writing to her all summer, too?"  
"How do you know all this?"  
  
"I saw her and Piotr."  
"And the letters?" Rogue blushed.  
"When I thought she was trying to get you, I kinda went through her stuff, and found them. Ya know those letters without the return address?"  
"From Lance."  
"Yeah. So that's five guys total."  
"Five?"  
"Yeah! Lance, Kurt, Logan, Piotr and y—" Remy smiled at her. "Alright, you weren't interested in her, fine! That's still four, and that's still too many."  
"Chere, you need to relax. Why all this jealousy?" Rogue looked away. How could she explain it to him? How could she explain it to any of them? Kitty had all these guys going after her. Hell, everyone was going after someone. But she was the only person in the world who couldn't do anything about those feelings. She would never be able to have a real relationship.  
"Just because," was her lame answer.  
"This because of your powers?" She looked up at him. "Petite mentioned the professor was trying to develop some device that would disable your power?"  
"Yeah, but so far he and Forge don't think it'll really work." Remy took her gloved hand in his.  
"Let's go see how the procedure is coming along."  
  
Kitty laid down on her bed before she let the tears pour out. No one had ever talked to her like that. No one have ever referred to her as a whore. Given, Rogue didn't exactly call her a whore so much as say her actions were whorish. And it was true that she didn't really know how to talk to a guy without flirting, but that was the whole purpose of her and Remy's friendship, was for her to try to work on that.  
'Did he explain that to her?' she wondered.  
Kurt had left his long-sleeved over shirt on her bed. He always wore one when he went out in public so that in case anyone happened to rub up against him, they wouldn't feel his fur. She sat up, picked up the shirt and wrapped it around her. She held up one of the sleeves to her face and inhaled. She could smell him. It was familiar and comfortable.  
He was right there, in the same house. But it still felt like he was far away. She began to sob again. Despite how close he was, she still missed him. She wanted nothing more than to see him right then and there.  
She got her wish. There was a knock on her door.  
"Come in," she called softly, trying to steady her voice. Kurt teleported in. Without saying a word, he sat down on her bed next to her and pulled her into a tight hug. She cried into his shoulder, and he held on to her as tightly as he could without suffocating her.  
Despite how miserable Kitty was, neither of them could think of a single place they'd rather be, than right there in her room in each other's arms.  
After a few minutes, Kitty pulled away for air. Kurt's tail grabbed some tissues from her nightstand. He took them and wiped the tears off her face. Even through all those tears, her piercing blue eyes were shining. They were always shining, no matter what.  
"Are you okay, Katzchen?" Kitty nodded.  
"I think so," she said slowly. "Or at least, I will be."  
"Good," he said. "You know I hate to see you cry. The last time I saw you, you were crying." She laughed.  
"Yes, but these are, like, totally different kinds of tears," she said. She leaned over and kissed him. They both laid back on her bed, curling up together just like they used to. It really was like told times.  
"Kitty," Kurt began.  
"Hmm?"  
"I think we need to talk. About what went on while I was gone." 


	20. Decisions

Chapter Twenty  
  
"How do you think it's going?" Jean asked.  
"Well, I don't hear any screaming," Scott replied. "That has to be a good sign."  
"I suppose so."  
"Well, you're the mind reader, here. You tell me."  
"Scott! I already misused my powers once today."  
"Yeah, so what's one more time? It's not like you're being nosy—"  
"That's exactly what it is."  
"No, it's making sure everyone's okay."  
"You're just as bad as Kitty."  
"Well, now Kitty's involved. And so are the others. And Rogue, Kitty and Kurt are like younger siblings to us. We have to make sure they're okay."  
"Ugh! Fine! I'll try to see what frame of mind Kitty's in, but that's it!" Jean concentrated. "Kitty's upset. That's as far as I'm going in this."  
"Come on, Jean."  
"No, Scott. If they want us to know anything, then they'll tell us. And I'm sure Kitty will fill us in later, anyway. You know how she gossips, even when it's about herself."  
"Fine, fine."  
"This isn't like you, Scott. Why are you so interested in what's going on with them?"  
"I just don't want any of them to be unhappy. After all these years, we're all like family."  
"Okay, I can see that."  
"I guess I feel kind of disconnected from them, you know? Ever since we graduated high school, we've barely had enough time for each other, let alone the rest of them. I feel like a bad friend, I guess."  
"Scott, they know you're busy. No one thinks you've abandoned them." Scott smiled sheepishly.  
"I know. Pathetic worry, isn't it?"  
"No, I think it's sweet. It shows you care." Scott looked at her. They were sitting at the kitchen table, not eating or drinking. Just sitting. And she never looked more beautiful.  
"Jean?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Can I ask you a question?"  
"Of course." Scott fidgeted.  
"I know this probably isn't the right time, and we may be too young. And I know we should probably get through school and everything first, but—"  
"Yes."  
"Yes?"  
"Yes."  
"I didn't even ask you anything."  
"But I know what you're going to ask." Scott grinned.  
"Yes? Really?"  
"Really." Scott leaned over, grabbed Jean's face and kissed her. He leaped over to the side she was sitting on, Lifted her up and spun her around a few times. Jean laughed.  
"So do you have a ring for me, or what?"  
  
"We still need to make some adjustments," Professor X said. "I'm not sure you're quite ready to test it just yet."  
"When do you think you could get it working well enough to test it?" Remy asked.  
"Soon," the professor answered. "Forge is still experimenting with it."  
"Will it work with all her powers?"  
"No, just her absorbing power. And I don't think it will negate them for very long, either. But that's why we're still working on it."  
"How soon will it be able to go for its first test run?"  
"Possibly some time this week."  
Rogue stood there, completely silent. She let Remy and the professor carry on the conversation, about her, as if she wasn't even there.  
"Chere? You okay?"  
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little nervous, I guess."  
"Rogue, you know you don't have to go through with it," the professor said. "If you're uncomfortable, then we'll nix the whole project."  
"Well...what exactly is it?" she asked.  
"It would be almost like an operation," the professor said. "We'd have to send electric shocks into your body."  
"And that's safe?!" Rogue cried.  
"We won't test it until we're sure it is," the professor told her. "You know we would never intentionally put you in danger."  
"You can't just give me a watch or something? Like what Kurt has?" Rogue cringed.  
"I don't think that would work, Rogue," the professor said with a smile. "But as I said, it's not quite finished yet. I think it should be very soon, though. I will let you know when it is, and we can test it out, if you wish. You still have plenty of time to consider it."  
"Alright. Thanks." Rogue levitated herself and flew out of the professor's office. Remy tried to keep up with her, but she was a lot faster now she could fly. He knew she was going to her studio, though. She was there more than anywhere else. Remy wasn't even sure if Rogue slept anymore, or just took quick naps on the floor in her studio, then went back to painting.  
She was gathering brushes when he reached her.  
"I've gotta rinse these out," she said. She then flew out of the room and to the closest bathroom. Remy followed her once again.  
"What's wrong, chere?"  
"Nothing."  
"Something."  
"Nothing's wrong, Remy. Just leave me alone!" she snapped. She turned on the water at full blast and threw her brushes in the sink.  
"Everything's going to be alright, chere."  
"How do you know that?"  
"Remy knows."  
"What could you possibly know?"  
"I know you're scared."  
"I ain't scared of nothin'."  
"Chere..."  
"What?"  
"You know I'll be here for you. So will Kurt, and Jean, and Scott, and Logan. Even Petite."  
"Doesn't matter." She shut off the water.  
"Why's that?"  
"Because I don't know that I'll even do it."  
"And?"  
"And? And that means I'll never be able to touch you."  
"Chere, you know Remy won't talk you out of anything you don't want to do." Rogue looked over at him. She wanted to be able to touch him. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to be able to have a normal relationship. She wanted what Scott and Jean had. She wanted what Kurt and Kitty had.  
"I'll think about it."  
  
Kitty sat up and looked at Kurt.  
"Well...what do you want to, like, know about what happened while you were gone?"  
"What you did."  
"What do you mean?" She wasn't about to give out any information. She wanted him to think that Rogue had made the whore comment out of anger.  
"I know about what happened between you and Logan." Kitty's eyes darted over at him.  
"What do you know?"  
"I know that you and Logan...Katzchen, don't make me say it." Kitty sighed.  
"Fine. I will. I slept with Logan." Kurt looked down at the ground. He hadn't expected her to be so blunt about it.  
"And I know about Piotr."  
"I so did not sleep with him!"  
"What? I know. I mean, I didn't know that. I just knew something had happened."  
"We, like, kissed twice, but that was it. It was nothing."  
"Kitty...I thought you loved me."  
"I did! I do! Why would you, like, even question it?"  
"Why were you with them if you still loved me?"  
"You broke up with me, Kurt! I was, like, completely depressed. I didn't know how to handle anything. I, like, had hit rock bottom. I missed you and didn't know how to, like, deal with how I was feeling, you know?"  
"I was heartbroken over you, too, and I wasn't sleeping with other girls." Kitty's eyes filled with tears. He had a point.  
"Kurt...I'm sorry."  
"I know you are, Kitty." Kitty lied back on her bed. Kurt did the same. Hw threw an arm over her, and his tail wrapped around her calf.  
"I really am sorry, Kurt," Kitty said, tears spilling over. "I just...missed you so much..."  
"I missed you, too, Katzchen. And when I found out about the others, I knew I had to come back for you."  
"I'm really glad you did."  
"I love you, Kitty.  
"I love you, too, Kurt." They laid there in silence for a few minutes. It was getting late, and Kurt was feeling exhausted from that plan trip. It was a long flight to New York from Germany. He started to drift off to sleep. Kitty was tired, too. But she couldn't sleep yet. She had just one more question for him.  
"So where does that leave us now, Kurt?" 


	21. A New Step

NOTE: I had just assumed that everyone picked up on why I threw in the Logan/Kitty and Piotr/Kitty relationships: because they were part of the comic books. I tried to mainly stick to Evolution, but combine a little of the comics into it. I was left a rather rude review (which I removed), hence why I'm stating this now. I wasn't out to piss anyone off or anything. I don't mind getting reviews from people who dislike what I write. I can't please everyone, and I don't expect to. All I ask is that if you really feel it necessary to tell me that you don't like my story, then please do it as politely as possible. Name calling is unnecessary. I'm sorry if you don't like what you read, but I'm not going to change anything. All I can really suggest is, if you don't like it, don't read it. I can, however, promise you that there will be no more Logan/Kitty...uhm, relations, though. So if that was your only problem, rest assured. Again, I'm sorry if anyone was extremely upset. Just trying to mix things up and combine the show with the comics. I honestly didn't think anyone would get angry about it. So if you don't like it and feel that you want to express those feelings to me, that's cool, just please do it as nicely as you can. Thanks so much.  
  
And also, thank you to everyone who's left reviews. I truly did not think anyone would end up reading this. And the fact that just a small handful does means a lot to me. I know I've said this before, but you're the best!!  
  
Chapter Twenty-One  
  
A week and a half later, Kitty woke up at seven in the morning to the sound of her alarm going off.  
'What in the world?' she thought to herself groggily as she turned it off. Then she shot up out of her bed.  
Today was the big day.  
She took a quick shower and then got herself ready. Then she phased through her wall into Kurt's room.  
"Wake up," she said, shaking him. "Come on, sleepy head, time to get up." Kurt mumbled something she couldn't understand, then rolled over.  
"What are you talking about, Katzchen?" he groaned. Kitty opened the blinds, and the sun came pouring into the room. Kurt groaned and pulled the blanket over his head. Kitty laughed, then pulled it back down.  
"It's Tuesday, Kurt," she reminded him. He looked up at her.  
"So?" She stared at him for a minute, then his eyes widened. "I'm up, I'm up!"  
"Hurry up and get ready. I'll wait outside." Kitty phased through his door and into the hall. Five minutes later, Kurt popped into the hall, grabbed her wrist, and teleported.  
  
Scott woke up with a yawn. He reached over for Jean, but she wasn't there. He put his glasses on and glanced at the clock. He got up and pulled on his uniform.  
Jean walked back into the room then.  
"Oh, good, you're up," she said. She was already dressed and ready. "I got up before the alarm, so I just turned it off and got ready. I was coming in to wake you up now."  
"No, I'm up," he replied. "Up and ready."  
"Are you nervous?"  
"No. Why, are you?"  
"A little bit, yeah."  
"You're so sweet to be nervous."  
"Do you think it'll work?"  
"I hope so."  
"Me, too." Scott finished getting ready while Jean straightened up the room. They worked in silence, both lost in their own thoughts. Kitty and Kurt stopped by the room, and Jean could pick up their feelings, as well. It seemed that everyone was nervous, scared, anxious and paranoid.  
"I'm, like, so nervous!" Kitty said.  
"So am I," Jean said softly.  
"Girls, don't worry so much," Scott told them. "No matter what the results, everything will be fine."  
"Yes, but suppose something happens—" Jean began. Scott stopped her, and wrapped her up in a hug. Kitty looked over at Kurt, who was staring out the window.  
"Are you okay?" she asked.  
"Just nervous like the rest of you," he said. Kitty put her hand on his shoulder.  
"We're all scared, Kurt," she said.  
"Yeah." Kurt turned his back to her and continued to stare out the window. Kitty stood on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck and stared out the window herself over his shoulder.  
"Hey, guys, we should get going," Scott said. "We don't want to be late."  
"Okay," Kitty answered. She took Kurt's hand and led him over to Jean and Scott. Jean took Kitty's other hand, and Scott put a hand on Kurt's shoulder. Kurt sighed, and teleported them.  
  
"Where is she?" Remy mumbled to himself. Everyone else was there. Professor X, Logan, Kurt and Kitty, and Scott and Jean. He knew Rogue was scared and nervous. She'd die before admitting it to anyone, but it was clear. Everyone was nervous. This was a huge deal.  
'I guess I should've guessed she'd be the last one here,' Remy thought to himself. He shook his head. She constantly used to say Kitty was a drama queen, but she was pretty bad, too, when she wanted to be.  
"Where's Rogue?" Kitty finally asked.  
"Where d'you think?" Remy asked with a forced smile.  
"Want me to get her?" Kurt asked.  
"No," the professor said. "She'll be here."  
"Are you sure?" Kitty asked.  
'Rogue?' the professor communicated. 'Are you ready?'  
'Yeah, I'll be there in a minute,' Rogue responded. "Just finishing this painting real quick. Tell everyone I'm sorry for being late. Ya think they mind waiting on me?'  
'No, I know they don't.'  
"Rogue will be here in just a minute," the professor said. "She's finishing a painting."  
Everyone just nodded, and stood in silence. Waiting. No one knew what to say. So many mixed emotions in one room.  
Finally, Rogue flew into the room. She landed in front of the professor.  
"Alright." She smiled faintly. "I'm here. Let's get going."  
The professor made his way to the middle of the Danger Room, Remy, Kurt and Rogue following. Jean, Scott, Kitty and Logan waited in the control center, watching.  
In the middle of the Danger Room was a vertical table and some machines.  
"Rogue, you know you can still change your mind," the professor said.  
"You don't have to do nothing you don't want to, chere," Remy said.  
"No, I can do this," Rogue said, trying to hide her fear.  
"Is this safe, professor?" Kurt asked worriedly.  
"Forge and I have worked hard on this," the professor told him. "You know I would not subject any of you to anything I felt would put you in danger."  
"Can I stay down here with her?" Remy asked.  
"It would be best if you didn't," the professor said. "You wouldn't want to distract Rogue."  
"Will it hurt her?" Kurt asked. Rogue couldn't help but smile.  
"It's electric shocks being shot into my body, Kurt," she said. "Of course it's going to hurt."  
"Aren't you scared?" he asked her.  
"Nah," she said, although her face clearly said, "Petrified."  
"Are you ready, Rogue?" the professor asked her.  
"As ready as I'll ever be," she said, stifling a sigh. She leaned her back against the table. Remy strapped her wrists down, and Kurt strapped her ankles.  
Remy took Rogue's gloved hand in his before he did the last strap and kissed it.  
"We're all here for you, chere," he said softly. "Try not to be scared."  
"I ain't scared."  
"That's the spirit." He smiled at her, then strapped her wrist down. He and the professor started hooking up the machines.  
"We'll be here waiting for you," Kurt said.  
"Stop worrying," Rogue said. She knew one of them had to be strong right now, and while it shouldn't have to be her, Kurt was too upset to do it himself. She actually found herself being thankful that Kitty would be with him to help keep him calm, even though she knew that Kitty was pretty upset as well. They all were. Well, not really upset so much as worried and scared.  
"I can't help but worry," Kurt said. "You're my sister. You're the only family I have that's close by."  
"I appreciate it, Kurt," Rogue said with a smile. "Now go back up there and wait for this to be over, and I'll see ya then." She turned her heard towards the professor. "How long does this take, anyway?"  
"Just a few minutes," Professor X said. "We'll be back down here as soon as it's done to see if it works." Rogue nodded as well as she could while being strapped to a table. "Kurt, bring us back up." Kurt put a hand on the professor's shoulder and the other on Remy's and teleported them to the control room with the rest of them.  
Professor X threw a switch, and the table Rogue was strapped to lowered itself. Rogue stared at the ceiling, silently praying.  
'Okay, Professor,' she told him. 'I'm ready.'  
'Alright.'  
Professor X pushed some buttons. No one had any real idea what he was doing. Remy pressed himself against the window, staring at Rogue, praying that she wouldn't be too hurt. Scott squeezed Jean's hand, and they watched the professor. Logan, being the only one who understood what the professor was doing, helped him out. Kurt stood a few feet away from Remy. Kitty stood beside him, her arm wrapped around his waist.  
"Alright, this is it," the professor said.  
He pushed one last button. Rogue's body began vibrate. She let out a few cries. Remy pushed himself further against the glass. Kitty squeezed Kurt's arm and pulled him slightly away from the window, her way of telling him that he couldn't teleport to her. Jean buried her face in Scott's shoulder.  
Professor X pushed a few more buttons and turned a few switches. Rogue began to shake more violently. Her body shot up, making her look like she wasn't even alive, with her wrists and ankles strapped to the table. She let out a few more painful cries. Remy felt himself growing more and more scared.  
The professor pushed some final buttons and switches. Kitty's eyes filled with tears as she watched her old friend. Kurt looked pained and scared. Jean couldn't bear to look, and Scott seemed somewhat horrified. This wasn't what he'd pictured. Logan tried to hide his concern, and Remy was ready to blow up the window and jump down to her.  
Rogue screamed a few more times.  
"Charles, this is long enough, no?" Remy asked desperately.  
Just then, Rogue let out a loud, blood curdling scream. A scream like none of them had ever heard before in their lives.  
The professor quickly turned off the machines, and Rogue's body fell limp back on to the table. 


	22. The Aftermath

Chapter Twenty-Two  
  
"Get me down there, NOW!" Remy shouted, turning to the professor.  
"On it," Kurt said. Without waiting for a response, he teleported himself, Remy and Kitty (who was still clutching Kurt's arm) down to Rogue.  
Remy undid the straps on Rogue's wrists, then took her limp hand in his. Kitty carefully undid the straps at Rogue's ankles. Kurt stood on the opposite side of Rogue, staring at her. Kitty walked around to him and squeezed his hand sympathetically. Remy held Rogue's gloved hand to his cheek and mumbled to himself in French.  
The professor, Jean, Scott and Logan joined them minutes later.  
"Is she alright?" Jean asked.  
"I'm not sure yet," the professor answered.  
"Is she at least alive?!" Remy yelled.  
"Calm down, Gumbo," Logan said.  
"She is alive," the professor reassured them all. "Just unconscious."  
"Well, wake her up!" Remy was near hysteria.  
"You can't just *wake* someone up," Jean gently tried to explain.  
"I don't care! Do whatever needs to be done!"  
"Logan, take him outside for a minute," the professor said.  
"No way, Charles," Remy said. "I'm not leaving."  
"Come on, Cajun," Logan said. "Just take a quick walk and calm down, then come back."  
"NO."  
"I'll walk with you, Remy," Kitty said suddenly. She turned to Kurt. "Will you be alright without me here?" Kurt nodded absently. He never took his eyes off his sister. Kitty kissed his cheek, and took Remy's hand and phased them through the floor before he could argue.  
Rogue looked pale and lifeless. The last time she'd looked this way was right after everyone she'd absorbed tried to take over her body. The professor had to help her clear everyone out ["Self Possessed"]. She was in the medical lab for a while after that. The only good thing that had come out of that awful night was that Rogue and Kurt discovered they were siblings, even if it was only through adoption.  
"Did this whole thing at least work?" Scott asked.  
"I'm not sure," Professor X said. "I don't want to test it until she's awake and we're sure she's okay."  
"How long does this last?" Jean asked. "I mean, assuming it worked?"  
"Finding that out will be part of testing it," the professor explained. "It may also depend on how long she receives the shocks."  
"You mean if she wants to not worry about touching people for an exceptionally long time, she'd have to go through that for even longer?" Scott asked.  
"Well, yes."  
"No way." Kurt looked up from Rogue and at the professor. "This was too much for her! You can all clearly see that. She can't handle this pressure! It almost killed her. And for all we know, she might not wake up at all!"  
"I understand your concern, Kurt," Professor X said. "And we are all concerned as well. But right now, all we can do is wait."  
"We can't just sit around doing nothing!" Kurt cried. He turned to Jean. "You're the doctor! Help her!"  
  
"I'm not a doctor yet, Kurt," she said quietly. "And they don't exactly teach us how to handle problems with mutants. Knowledge of us isn't really public."  
"We need to do something!" Kurt repeated.  
"Kurt, maybe you should catch up with Remy and Kitty," the professor said.  
"No. One of us has to stay with her," Kurt said, meaning himself and Remy. "Once he gets back, then I'll take a walk and collect myself more. At least one of us has to be here when she wakes up."  
"Do what you want, Elf, but you need to stay calm," Logan told him. He walked over and looked at Rogue. She looked very frail. It was almost too much.  
"We're going to leave, now," Jean said. "Just keep us posted on how she's doing, okay?" The professor nodded, and Jean led Scott away.  
"Let's move her to the medical lab," Professor X said. "We can monitor her better there."  
  
Kitty handed Remy his cigarettes, but he was too worked up to do anything. Calmly, she took one out, put it in her own mouth and lit it. Then she handed it to Remy.  
"Where'd you learn to do that?"  
"Duh, like, almost everyone tries it at least once, right?" Remy raised an eyebrow at her. "I tried it once while I was dating Lance."  
"He really wasn't a good influence on you."  
"No." They sat in silence for a few minutes, letting the sun and the light breeze fall on them.  
"Are you alright?" Kitty finally asked. Remy just stared off. "We're all worried, Remy. And scared, too."  
"Not like I am."  
"I know. There's, like, a lot riding on this for both of you." Kitty said thoughtfully. "I hope things work out. This would, like, be the answer to your prayers."  
"Not if she dies," Remy mumbled.  
"Do you think she will?"  
"Remy don't even want to think about that."  
"I think she'll be okay."  
"Oh, really."  
"Yeah. Rogue's, like, the strongest person alive. Not just physically, but, like, emotionally, too, you know? After everything she's been through, especially since she found out she was a mutant, I don't think there's, like, anything she can't handle."  
"You sound awfully fond of her."  
"I guess I kinda am."  
"Even after what happened last week?"  
"Well, yeah. I mean, everyone has, like, their weak moments where they do things they're, like, not really proud of." She thought about Logan. "Everyone makes mistakes. We just have to, like, forgive them and move on, you know?"  
"You're very smart and mature, Petite." Kitty blushed.  
"I'm learning as I go. I think I'm, like, starting to really grow up now." The continued to sit in silence. Remy lit another cigarette. Thoughts of Rogue and how she was doing were running through his head. He had to stop thinking about it. At least for a few minutes.  
"You start your new school next year, no?" Kitty nodded.  
"I'm going to school with Kurt and Scott."  
"What are you studying?"  
"I'm not sure yet. Maybe biology or genetics or computer science." She laughed lightly. "Maybe I'll, like, look into acting, like Kurt. He's, like, a born performer."  
"Things are normal for you two again?"  
"Well, sort of. We're, like, not officially back together or anything just yet, but we're working on it. A lot happened in the short time he was gone."  
"I'm sure you'll make it."  
"Oh, I'm, like, not worried about that at all. It's just I'm not really known for my patience, you know?" Remy smiled and put his hand on her shoulder.  
"You'll be fine, Petite."  
"So will you. And so will Rogue." She stood up. "Let's go see how she's doing."  
  
NOTE: Sorry this one's so short. I'll try to make the next one longer. 


	23. Sleeping Beauty

NOTE: Again, sorry that last one was so incredibly short, guys. A friend of mine called me while I was in the middle of writing it with a crisis. So I decided to just cut the chapter short and end it where I was. Which was just as well, because my friend and I ended up staying on the phone for an hour and a half. I'd had every intention of getting this one out last night (didn't want to keep you guys waiting!), but you know...writer's block. But I got kind of inspired, so hopefully this meets your approval.  
  
Chapter Twenty-Three  
  
"She hasn't moved," Kurt told Remy and Kitty as they entered the medical lab.  
"Do you know anything?" Kitty asked.  
"Just that she's stable," Kurt said glumly. "At least, that's all the professor would tell me."  
"Well, I'm here now," Remy said. "So if you want to go rest for a while, feel free."  
"I think I just take a walk and clear my head," Kurt said. "Then I'll come back."  
"Do you want me to go with you?" Kitty asked.  
"Thank you, Katzchen, but I'd like to be alone." Kitty nodded, and Kurt teleported out. She turned to Remy.  
"How about you? Do you want me to, like, leave? I mean, would you rather be by yourself? Like, with Rogue?"  
"No, Petite. You can stay." The two of them sat on opposite sides of the bed Rogue was laying on. Neither of them said anything. Kitty was afraid to talk too much. She knew it was crazy, but she felt as though if she said too much, it would hurt her. Although on the other hand, she wanted to talk, because she was convinced that if she said enough, Rogue would open her eyes and snap, "Will you shut the hell up, Cat? And what're you lookin' at, Cajun?"  
Kitty smiled to herself at that thought. Rogue tried to convince everyone that she hated everyone, but they all knew better. Rogue was just a softie with a hard exterior.  
Remy couldn't take his eyes off of her. She looked so small and so fragile. Completely the opposite of how she normally looked.  
"This is all my fault." Kitty looked over at him.  
"What are you talking about? This isn't your fault. Why would you think that?" Remy cringed. He hadn't meant to say that out loud.  
"It is, Petite," he told her. "I pushed her to try this."  
"No, you didn't. She knew what she was doing."  
"She didn't want to do it. I told her she should try it. I pressured her."  
"Remy, I've heard the two of you discussing it. You, like, told her constantly that it was her decision, and that you'd support whatever she decided. You were, like, the perfect, supportive boyfriend."  
"I'm not her boyfriend, though," he said quietly, still staring at Rogue. "And Chere did it simply to try to make me happy."  
"Well, that's sweet of her. I mean, it shows that she's, like, human."  
"She was always human, Petite. Just wounded."  
"Well, either way, it wasn't your fault. She did it because she wanted to. Please, don't blame yourself."  
Remy didn't say anything. He couldn't stop looking at her. He was afraid that if he looked away, even for a second, something awful would happen to her.  
"Are you sure you, like, want me around?" Kitty asked. "Because I can go find Kurt or Jean or someone and leave you alone."  
"Go find Kurt," Remy told her. "And then come back. I want to be here when she wakes up, and I'm sure Kurt does, too. And I know that you want to be here for everyone, so you'll be here, too."  
Kitty smiled. She walked around Rogue's bed, gave Remy a friendly kiss on the cheek, then phased out of the room.  
  
Kurt stared out at the sky. He was sitting on the roof of the mansion, trying to collect his throughts.  
Figures. Just as things were slowly but surely straightening themselves out, his sister has a near-death experience.  
She could still potentially die, too.  
Kurt took a few deep breaths. This was too much. Something had to be done. He was fully aware that all that he could do was wait, but it was killing him. No one knew what kind of affects this could have on Rogue. Maybe it would negate her powers. Maybe it wouldn't, and then she would've gone through all of that for nothing. Could the shocks somehow have damaged her? What if it somehow caused amnesia? Or something even worse?  
'I need to find Kitty,' he thought. 'I need to talk to someone.'  
As if on cue, Kitty phased her head through the roof.  
"I knew you'd be here," she said. "When you weren't on your balcony, I knew this was, like, the only other likely place you'd be."  
"I was just thinking about you, too," Kurt said with a faint smile. Kitty had finished phasing and sat down next to him.  
"I brought you a burrito," she said, handing a little plate to him.  
"I'm not really hungry."  
"Okay, first of all, there's, like, no way I believe that. Second, even if you aren't, you haven't eaten all day. You need to get something in you."  
"I think I'm full of concern."  
"I meant food." She held the burrito under his nose. "Please? For me? You know that Rogue wouldn't, like, want you to starve."  
"Fine." Kurt took the burrito. He kind of stared at it, then back out at the sky.  
"Once you finish eating we'll, like, go back to the medical lab," Kitty said softly.  
"Is Remy still with her?"  
"Of course. You know he's not going to leave her side until she wakes up. Unless, like, he's leaving her with you. I think you're like, the only person he trusts to be with her without him present."  
"Yeah, that's how I feel, too."  
"Hey, what about me?"  
"Well, you're always with one of us, and one of us will always be there, so you're a given." Kitty giggled.  
"Remy blames himself," she said after a few minutes.  
"Why?"  
"He thinks that he, like, pushed her into trying it out."  
"She made the decision on her own."  
"That's what I told him. But he, like, thinks that she did it for him."  
"Well, I'm sure that was part of it."  
"Oh, me, too. But, like, I think the main reason was because *she* wanted to, you know? Not just because Remy wanted her to. Because, like, he told her he'd support whatever decision she made. And Rogue's not really one to do things because other people want her to. She works on her own terms, and has for, like, as long as we've known her. She didn't even trust us at first, remember?"  
"Well, I'm sure it didn't help that when you two first met you attacked her [Rogue Recruit]."  
"Yeah, and then she, like, absorbed you and teleported away." The both smiled. While it wasn't the ideal meeting, they both were fairly amused by the memory. That was also the night that Kitty admitted that she did have a little bit of feelings for Kurt.  
"Wow, you ate that pretty fast," Kitty said, nodding at the plate. Kurt looked down. The burrito was gone. He hadn't even realized that he ate it. If it wasn't for the aftertaste in his mouth, he would've just assumed that he'd dropped it.  
"So are you, like, ready to go back to the lab?"  
"I guess so." He put his hand on Kitty's, and teleported.  
  
Remy was sitting in a chair that he'd pulled up right next to Rogue's bed. He was holding on to her hand, which was still wearing a glove, and he had his head resting on top of her stomach. Kitty and Kurt teleported just outside the room.  
"That is so sweet," Kitty whispered. "Port me to my room real quick."  
"Why?"  
"Just do it. We'll come right back. I have to get something."  
Kurt shrugged, then took Kitty to her room. She quickly dug through a drawer, grabbed something, and then gave Kurt the go-ahead to teleport them back. He did so. Remy hadn't moved. Kitty adjusted her camera lens, and snapped a picture of the two of them.  
"Rogue is going to kill you."  
"Not if she, like, doesn't see it. I'll keep one copy and give one to Remy." She put her camera on a chair outside the room. "I know this is, like, so not the right time to be taking pictures, but that was just too sweet an image to ignore, you know?"  
"Well, I won't tell on you."  
"Thanks." They walked into the room. Remy lifted his head.  
"Bonjour," he said with a grin.  
"Nice nap?" Kitty asked.  
"I wasn't sleeping." She smiled.  
"Any changes?" Kurt asked.  
"Non." Kurt sighed. He sat down on a chair on the opposite side that Remy was on. Kitty stood next to him, as there weren't any more chair.  
"Have a seat, Petite," Remy said as he started to get up.  
"No, you stay where you are," Kitty said. "I'm fine."  
"No, you should sit," Kurt agreed. He wrapped his arm around he waist and pulled her into his lap.  
"Okay, well I guess that, like, works," she said with a giggle.  
No one said anything for a few minutes. All three of them just stared at Rogue's lifeless body.  
"Knock, knock," Jean's voice came from the door. She walked in and joined their staring sessions. After a few minutes she said, "I take it there's no change?"  
"Not yet," Remy said.  
"Well, I won't stay too long," Jean said. "I'm just letting you guys know that the professor is ordering dinner for us in a little while."  
"I'm not hungry," Remy said.  
"You still need to eat," Jean told him.  
"Rogue wouldn't want you to starve," Kitty said, using the same argument she'd used on Kurt.  
"She's got a point, Gambit," Kurt said. Remy didn't say anything.  
"I'll contact you when the pizza gets here," Jean said to Kitty, knowing that the guys would only eat if she made them.  
"Okay." Jean gave them all a sympathetic smile, then left.  
"Whoa, did you see that rock?" Kitty asked. "I mean, I know Scott picked up the ring last night, but I, like, hadn't seen it yet."  
"Wonder where he got the money for that," Kurt agreed.  
"Didn't notice it yet," Remy replied. "I'll look later." His mind wandered a little. He wondered if he'd ever be able to buy a ring like that for Rogue. He wanted to be able to touch her more than anything in the world.  
But not if it cost him her life.  
Remy rested his head on Rogue's stomach again. Kitty stood up and brushed some of Rogue's hair off her face, being careful not to actually touch her skin. Kurt held Rogue's hand.  
Twenty minutes later, Kitty heard Jean's voice in her head.  
'Maybe you should come up here and bring the food to them,' Jean suggested. 'I don't think they're going to leave her.'  
'You're probably right,' Kitty agreed. She stood up.  
"Pizza's here," she told the boys. "I'm going to get some a bring it down here. And you're *going* to eat it. Even you, Kurt. Just because you ate a little while ago doesn't mean you can get out of it. And Remy, I know for a fact that you haven't eaten all day. So you're eating, too."  
"Go ahead, Petite," Remy said absently. Kitty shook her head, then made her way to the kitchen. They'd ordered two large pies, so Kitty just grabbed a box and brought it down with her. Then she went back up and got them drinks and napkins.  
After practically opening Remy's mouth, shoving pieces into his mouth, and then forcing him to chew, he finally ate a couple pieces on his own. Kurt ate some pieces the same way he ate the burrito: without even noticing it. Kitty ate one piece, hoping the guys would follow her example, then picked at a second.  
'I guess none of us *really* have an appetite,' she thought to herself.  
"Maybe we should all get some sleep," she said, standing up. "I mean, I don't think she's waking up today."  
"I'm not going anywhere, Petite," Remy said.  
"Neither am I, Katzchen." Kitty nodded, then sat back down.  
"Yeah, I guess I don't, like, really want to leave, either." She gathered up all the trash, and brought it up to the kitchen to get rid of it.  
"Anything?" Scott asked her while she was there.  
"Not yet," she told him sadly. "That's a killer ring you got for Jean."  
"Well, I knew she'd like it."  
"Any girl would. It's gorgeous!"  
"Thanks. I had some help, though."  
"Really? Who?" Rogue wasn't interested in things like that, and the only other girl who lived with them was her, and he didn't ask her.  
"Well...you can't say anything."  
"Okay."  
"Kurt."  
  
Kurt was starting to doze off a little. Remy was starting to get tired, too. His head was still resting on Rogue. He started to drift off, when he felt something move through his hair. He quickly sat up.  
Rogue's eyes were partially open. She'd been touching his hair.  
"Chere?" Her head slowly turned towards him. She opened her mouth a little and made a small noise. Her voice was course and small.  
"Remy?" 


	24. The Test

Chapter Twenty-Four  
  
Remy reached over across Rogue and gave Kurt a light slap.  
"She's awake, mon ami," Remy said. He took Rogue's gloved hand and clutched it against his cheek. Kurt jumped up, yelled something in German, then ported out of the room.  
"Did you get that?" Remy asked. Rogue smiled slightly. She was still pretty out of it.  
"I think he said 'Thank God.'"  
"So what, he left to go thank Him personally?"  
"No, I think he went to get the professor. Or Scott or Jean or Kitty or Logan." She tried to sit up, but had a lot of trouble. Remy helped her. "How long as I out?"  
"All day. About fourteen hours."  
"Wow."  
Kurt popped back in then.  
"The professor and Jean are on their way," he told them. He leaned over and hugged Rogue.  
"Happy to see me?" she asked.  
"Like you wouldn't believe," her brother told her.  
"Heard I was out for a while."  
"Yeah, you were." The professor and Jean walked in then.  
"We're so glad you're up!" Jean said. "We were all worried."  
"Where's Scott and Kitty?" Rogue asked.  
"Hmm. I'm not sure," Jean said. "I'll check."  
'Scott?' Jean asked telepathically.  
'Yeah?' Scott responded, ignoring the shocked expression that was frozen on Kitty's face.  
'Rogue's awake. Is Kitty with you?'  
'Yeah. We'll be right down.'  
"Rogue's awake," Scott told Kitty. "Let's go." He hurried out of the kitchen. Kitty still stood there, Scott's words running through her head.  
Kurt helped Scott pick out Jean's engagement ring? She knew they were best friends, but that's kind of strange. And for some reason, Kurt hadn't wanted Kitty to know about that.  
'Why?' she wondered. 'Does he think that I'll want one, too? Or is he already thinking about that himself, and he *wants* to buy me one? I can't get married! I'm only eighteen! I'm way too young for that!'  
Kitty began ripping open cabinets and draws, looking for a paper bag. She found one and began breathing heavily into it. She didn't normally have panic attacks, but when she did, they weren't pretty.  
She sat down in a corner on the floor with her back against a lower cabinet. She continued breathing into the bag. Once the attack had passed, she got a glass of water and sipped at it.  
It wasn't as if she hated the idea of marrying Kurt. Maybe someday it would be in the cards for them. But right now, no way. They were way too young to even be considering it. Especially since things between them had been so shaky recently. And then with everything that was going on with Rogue...  
'*Rogue!*' Kitty quickly phased herself through the floor and to the medical lab.  
  
Scott burst into the medical lab. Everyone turned and looked over at him.  
"Where's the fire?" Rogue asked. Scott grinned, embarrassed, and stood beside Jean.  
"Good to see you up, Rogue," he said.  
"Where's Kitty?" Kurt asked. Scott turned back around towards the door.  
"She was right behind me...I thought, anyway," he said. Just then, Kitty dropped through the ceiling right beside Remy.  
"Sorry!" she said. "I, like, got caught up in something." She met Scott's glance, and she knew he was looking at her strangely. Through his red-tinted glasses he could see her turn red. Jean looked at Kitty, and sensed something was wrong with her.  
'What's wrong with her?' she asked Scott mentally.  
'I have no idea,' Scott replied.  
'What we you talking about up there?'  
'I don't even really remember. We talked briefly about your ring...Do you think she's jealous?'  
'Of what? That we're getting married?'  
'Well, yeah.'  
'I'm sure Kitty's not even thinking about marriage.'  
'Well, maybe she just likes me, then.' Jean stifled a giggle, but Scott still heard it.  
'Scott, your ego needs to be deflated just a bit.'  
'What? You did say once that it was Kitty who first pointed out to you how attractive I am.'  
'Ugh! Your ego is sucking all the air out of the room!'  
'I'm just saying that maybe she has a little crush and is jealous.'  
'That's not what it is, Scott.'  
'How do you know?'  
'Because I don't sense depression or sadness from her. It's more scared and panicky.'  
'Why?'  
'I don't know. I'm not going to go into her head.'  
"Scott? Jean?" the professor said. "Are you two ready to join us?"  
"Yes, Professor," Jean said, blushing.  
"Sorry," Scott added.  
"Intense wedding planning?" Rogue asked.  
"No," they both answered, a little too quickly. Kitty felt four eyes on her, and she knew they'd been having some mental discussion about her. She turned her attention to Rogue.  
"You gave us quite a scare," she said with a smile. Rogue faintly smiled back at her old roommate.  
"Sorry," she said. "I'll try to warn you before I slip into a coma next time."  
"You think there'll be a next time?" Kitty asked.  
"I don't know yet." Rogue looked over at the professor. "So did this thing work or not?"  
"We haven't tested it yet, Rogue," Professor Xavier said. "I didn't want to try it while you were unconscious."  
"Why? If it worked, then nothing would've happened. If it didn't, the jolt of energy I'd have absorbed probably would've woken me up, wouldn't it?"  
"Perhaps. Or perhaps it would have confused you, and you would've awoken not knowing who you were. Or thinking you were someone else."  
"You think I could've gotten some weird form of amnesia?"  
"It's possible, but you're awake now, and you seem alright."  
"Okay, so should we test this now, or what?"  
"Do you think you're ready?"  
"Sure, why not?"  
"If the procedure didn't work, Rogue, you'll be disappointed. I don't want your hopes up too high."  
"Ya couldn't have told me that beforehand?" Rogue said with a joking smile. Everyone else smiled with her, except Remy.  
"Are you prepared for the worst?" the professor asked.  
"Well, yeah. I mean, the worst thing that could happen is I'm exactly the same as I was when I woke up this morning, right?"  
"Right." The professor looked at everyone else. "Any volunteers to be a test subject."  
"I will," Remy and Kurt said at the same time. They looked at each other.  
"I should do it," Kurt said. "I'm her brother."  
"Mon ami, allow me," Remy said. "Remy needs some adventure in his life, no?" Remy pulled Kurt slightly away from the group and lowered his voice. "Besides, if it didn't work, we can't risk anything happening to you. Petite needs you."  
"But she's my family," Kurt said. "She was always there for me when I needed her. This is the one time she needs me."  
"She wouldn't want to hurt you."  
"And you think she'd want to hurt you?"  
"Sometimes, yes." Remy grinned. "You just stand with Petite and don't worry about nothing. I'll handle your sister." Kurt reluctantly agreed. They turned back towards everyone.  
"I'll do it," Remy said. He stood besides Rogue and touched her gloved hand. "And I'm ready when you are, chere." Rogue looked up at the professor.  
"Now?" The professor nodded.  
Rogue turned towards Remy and looked up at him. She slowly pulled off her and reached up towards his face. Remy shook his head slightly. Rogue, confused, put her hand back down. They started at each other for a minute. They didn't even seem to notice everyone else in the room, watching them.  
Kurt clutched Kitty's hand nervously. Jean and Scott stared intently. Professor X mentally told Logan, who was upstairs, to stand by, in case something happened to Remy.  
Remy leaned over to Rogue, and kissed her forehead. 


	25. News

NOTE: Sorry for ending the last chapter the way I did, guys. I have a thing for cliff hangers. I'm sure you've noticed. ;-)  
  
Chapter Twenty-Five  
  
As Remy leaned towards her, Rogue squeezed her eyes shut, preparing to send him into a coma, in addition to becoming overwhelmed with his thoughts and memories. His lips touched her forehead and she cringed.  
Kurt held his breath, and Kitty, Jean and Scott cringed along with Rogue. The professor sat there, looking calm but feeling just as nervous.  
Remy didn't feel the slightest bit afraid, except for Rogue.  
He kissed her, then moved away. Rogue's eyes stayed shut for a minute. No odd memories came to her. She slowly opened one eye, then the other. Remy was standing beside her, looking back at her, a hint of a smile on his face.  
"It worked?" Rogue said quietly. Her eyes lit up, and a grin spread across her face. She screamed excitedly, not caring that she sounded exactly like Kitty when she first found out that Kurt had liked her. "It worked!!" She grabbed Remy and pulled him towards her. She hugged him tightly, not caring if their cheeks touched.  
"It worked!" Kurt shouted. He hugged his sister and gave her a kiss on the cheek. She grabbed his hand.  
"Wow, your fur really is soft," she said with a smile. Kitty squealed and jumped onto Rogue's bed beside her and grabbed her hand.  
"I can, like, finally fix your hair!" she said excitedly. "I've always wanted to do something with it, but, like, I knew you wouldn't let me, and even if you did I'd have problems, because I'd probably end up, like, touching your face at one point or another, you know? But I am, like, so fixing it now."  
"The hell you are." Rogue smiled despite herself. She knew Kitty was just happy for her. She felt guilty (again) about trying to cause problems between her and Kurt.  
Jean and Scott hugged her, too. None of them could contain themselves. Except for Professor X. He had communicated to Logan that the procedure had worked, and that he was welcome to join them all. Logan responded with he'd visit Rogue later when all the commotion had died down.  
"Professor, it worked!" Rogue said.  
"Yes, I see that," the professor said. "And that's wonderful for you."  
"My other powers still work, though," she said. She hadn't tried them, but she could just feel it.  
"Yes, the procedure only disabled your absorbing power."  
"This is great," Rogue said. "I can finally feel somewhat normal."  
"Well, therein lies the catch," the professor said slowly. Everyone stopped and looked at him.  
"Catch?" Kurt asked.  
"What catch?" Kitty added.  
"Rogue, however long the procedure lasts determines how long your power will be inactive."  
"What?" Kitty asked.  
"So how long is it today?" Rogue asked, completely understanding. She was dreading what he would say, though. Professor X sighed.  
"It should wear off fairly soon. You lasted only a few minutes before you passed out. I calculated it to have lasted only twenty-four hours."  
"So you're saying that if I want to keep it inactive, I'll have to do that for even longer?" Rogue asked.  
"No, you can't do it for longer than you did today," the professor explained. "It was too much for you, and you were unconscious for fourteen hours. That only leaves ten hours for you to be able to enjoy being able to touch others."  
"So you're saying I'll have to do that every day."  
"Possibly twice if you want it to last all day." Rogue sighed and leaned back in her bed.  
"I knew this was too good to be true," she said.  
"I won't force you to do anything you're not comfortable with," Professor X said. "But now that you know that it works, it will be up to you to determine what you want to do with it. In the meantime, I can work with Forge to try to adjust it so it won't cause you to pass out, and possibly make the affects last longer."  
"I'd only have to do it on days I'd want it, right?" Rogue asked. "Like, if tomorrow morning I decided that I wanted my absorbing powers, I'd just go about as I normally would, and then if the next day I wanted to touch people, I could just get the shocks and do it like that, and it would be okay?"  
"Well, yes, you could do that."  
"I'll think about it some more."  
"Alright. Well, we'll all leave you to get some more rest. It's getting late, anyway."  
"Thanks, Professor. I appreciate everything you've done." The professor smiled, and ushered everyone out. Remy stayed behind.  
"Aren't you tired?" Rogue asked.  
"When it comes to you, chere, never." She blushed lightly.  
"Man, I didn't even realize I was still wearing my other glove," she said, pulling it off. "I look like Michael Jackson."  
"But much more beautiful." He sat down beside her on her bed. She reached over and touched his face. She examined ever inch of it, making sure she touched everything she could. Remy just watched her, overwhelmed that that this was actually happening. They were silent for a while, unsure of what to say. Rogue finally broke the silence.  
"You need to shave." Remy laughed.  
"That's all you have to say to me? You've been in love with me since we met—"  
"Hey! You're the one who's in love with me, Cajun."  
"—and all you have to say is that I need to shave?"  
"Well, you do. You're feeling a little scruffy there."  
"Fine, I'll shave tomorrow. Now it's my turn." He brushed her hair out her eyes and away from her face. Her skin was smoother than he'd thought.  
'What is he waiting for?' Rogue found herself wondering. Remy continued smoothing her hair and her face. 'Well, screw waiting, I'll just do it myself.'  
Rogue put her hands on Remy's face and pulled him towards her. She met his lips with her own.  
  
"God, I'm so glad that worked," Kitty said. "I mean, it sucks that she has to, like, do that whole shock thing every time she wants to be able to touch someone, but at least she, like, actually has the option now, you know?"  
"I'm just glad she's alright," Kurt said. Kitty got into bed and flipped through a magazine. Kurt sat at his desk and rummaged through some drawers.  
"So do you mind if I stay in here again tonight?" Kitty asked. "I mean, I don't want to, like, cramp your style of anything."  
"Katzchen, I love when you stay in here," Kurt said with a wicked grin. He teleported to the bed and made himself comfortable beside her. "I'm starting to think you should move in here with me." Kitty smiled.  
"Yeah, wouldn't that be nice," she said. "I'm sure the professor wouldn't go for it."  
"Actually, I've already discussed it with the professor," Kurt said shyly. "He said if you were up to it, then he was okay with it."  
"Really?" Kitty was surprised. "I don't know, Kurt. We're, like, still trying to work things out you know?"  
"Kitty, it might help us," Kurt said. "We've been living together for four years already. And we'll be going to school together in the fall. Trust me, between all the homework and training, we won't have much time together. This would help, I think. Besides, you sleep in here almost every night, anyway."  
"Do you think the room would be big enough for both of us?"  
"We could always switch rooms if we needed to. Or maybe knock down that wall, if the professor lets us. Your room's on the other side of it, so we could just merge both our rooms to make one giant room."  
"I still don't know, Kurt," Kitty said. She thought back to Scott mentioning the ring thing. What if this was some kind of test? What if Kurt was planning on proposing in a few months if sharing a room went over well?  
"Kitty, what would really change? Instead of just a few of your things being in my room, *all* of your things would be in here. And it wouldn't be my room, it would be our room."  
"Well, maybe," Kitty said uncertainly. "Although, despite everything that's happened between us, I'm, like, fairly certain Scott will get all big brother-y on me and try to stop it from happening."  
"Well, then we just tell him that the alternative is Lance."  
"Lance moved, remember? We don't know where he is."  
"Well, if he left Bayville, then he's back. I saw him yesterday walking out of a video arcade while I was getting some burgers." Kitty's eyes widened.  
"*What?*" 


	26. The Awful Reunion

NOTE: Sorry for taking so long to update, guys. I was gone for a couple day. Plus I had a smidgen of writer's block (again), but an idea came to me, and now I'm very much excited to pick up this story again. And I am up to 40 reviews. Woohoo!!! Thank you so much, guy. I love you all! Also, in this chapter I mention the Remy is Rogue's first kiss. I am fully aware that in Evolution she did kiss him briefly in Dark Horizons. And I am also aware that how Rogue initially discovered her powers (in the comics) was through kissing Cody. But this is my story, and I'll make up any random details I want to. I just want to it to be known that I know my version isn't accurate.  
  
Chapter Twenty-Six  
  
Rogue awoke the next morning with Remy's head resting on her stomach. He was passed out. She didn't blame him. They were up half the night making out.  
'I finally kissed a guy,' she thought to herself happily. She gently stroked Remy's hair. The only thing that could make her happier than she was just there was if her power.  
Remy stirred and slowly lifted his head. He sat up straight and looked at Rogue.  
"Morning, chere."  
"Morning."  
"Sleep well?"  
"Probably better than you. I was actually lying down."  
"Well, you wouldn't let me climb in there with you."  
"We don't know when my powers will kick back in. The last thing I want is for you to end up in the hospital."  
"As long as my bed is right next to yours, I'm fine." Rogue smiled. Remy leaned over to kiss her, but she moved her head.  
"No," she said softly.  
"What's wrong?"  
"We don't know if my powers have come back yet. The professor said they probably would've by now."  
"How will we know if we don't try anything?"  
"I don't want to hurt you, Remy."  
"I'm not afraid, chere."  
"I know, but I am."  
"Why?"  
"I told you. I don't want to hurt you."  
"You worry too much." Rogue sighed and leaned back in her bed. Remy moved his chair closer to her, rested his head on her chest and wrapped his arm around her blanket-covered waist. She wrapped her own arm over his shoulder and used her other hand to mess with his hair once again, being as careful as she could not to touch her skin with hers.  
"Still tired?" Rogue asked.  
"Mmhm," Remy murmured.  
"Maybe you should just go back to sleep," she suggested.  
"Mmhm."  
"Remy, don't you think you'd be more comfortable in your room, in your own bed?"  
"Not unless you're with me, chere. We've been through this already."  
"So you're just going to sleep partially sitting up?"  
"Mmhm." Rogue laughed lightly.  
"You're so strange, Cajun."  
"You're so beautiful, chere."  
  
Kitty climbed out of bed. Kurt was sound asleep. She didn't blame him. He was so exhausted. He tried talking to her all night about how excited he was for Rogue, and she had just tuned him out and fell asleep.  
And she dreamed about Lance.  
She took a shower and got dressed. She wrote Kurt a little note explaining that she went to see Lance and find out what was going on with him. She walked back over to Kurt's bed, lightly kissed his cheek, then phased through the floor and into the kitchen.  
Logan was sitting there, sipping at a cup of coffee.  
"Morning, Half-Pint."  
"Morning, Logan." Kitty had feared since their little affair that being around Logan would be awkward. It was a little, but not nearly as bad as she thought it would be.  
Kitty opened up the fridge and pulled out a pitcher of iced tea.  
"Coffee's the way to get the caffeine jolt." Kitty wrinkled her nose.  
"No, thanks," she said. "Especially not black, like you drink it."  
"I suppose you prefer those trendy crap drinks at Starbucks?"  
"I don't mind the occasional latte, no." Logan shook his head and turned a page in the paper.  
"Where are you going?"  
"I'm not fifteen anymore, Logan, you don't need to know everything about my schedule."  
"Try again." Kitty laughed.  
"I'm going over to the Brotherhood house."  
"What the hell for?"  
"To see Lance."  
"I thought you said he left town?"  
"Well, Kurt said he saw him yesterday."  
"I thought we were done with the X-Men dating Brotherhood dramatic crap."  
"I'm not dating Lance."  
"Why are you going over there?"  
"Because I think he owes me some explanations."  
"For what?"  
"Well..." Kitty considered telling him about Lance's letters. She shook her head. "I just want to catch up and see how he is, you know?" Logan growled lightly.  
"Watch yourself, Half-Pint. I don't want to have to chase someone down later."  
"Since when?" Kitty smiled. She put her glass in the dishwasher and grabbed the coffee pot. "Refill?" Logan pushed his cup forward without looking up from the paper. Kitty refilled it and then put the coffee pot back. She started out the door, but Logan's voice stopped her.  
"Thanks, kid." She turned back.  
"I'm not a kid anymore, Logan," she said. "You know that." He sighed.  
"Yeah, I do. Be careful."  
"I always am." She phased out. Logan shook his head. He had a really bad feeling about her visiting her former flame. His claws shot out, almost involuntarily.  
He was ready.  
  
Kitty knocked on the Brotherhood's door. The door cracked open, and Lance peered out.  
"Kitty!" he said, shocked. "What are you doing here?" Kitty pushed the door slightly and let herself in.  
"I could, like, ask you the same thing," she said. "Kurt told me last night that he saw you."  
"Ugh, I was hoping he hadn't seen me," Lance said wincing.  
"So what's going on?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"I mean, when did you get back? What have you been doing? How were your friends? Were you, like, planning on telling me that you were back?"  
"Kitty, you really shouldn't be here."  
"Lance, you know me better than that." Lance sighed.  
"Yeah, I do know you better than that."  
"So, like, catch me up. How are you?"  
"I'm fine, Kitty."  
  
"Did you get your high school equivalency?"  
"What? Oh, no, not yet. I'm still working on it."  
"I got your letters. I wanted to write back to you, but I didn't know how to reach you."  
"That's okay."  
"So how was...wherever it was you were?"  
"Kitty, I never left."  
"What?!"  
"I never left."  
"What do you mean you never left?"  
"What part aren't you getting?" Kitty felt as though she'd been punched in the stomach. Lance had never spoken to her like that.  
"Why did you tell me you were leaving?"  
"Because I loved you, and I wanted to make your life easier."  
"How does lying to me make my life easier?"  
"You wanted to be with Blue Boy. You didn't care about me anymore"  
"Lance, you know that's not true."  
"You shouldn't be here, Kitty."  
"Lance, I'm not going anywhere, do you can, like, stop saying that now."  
"Whatever." Lance leaned back in the chair he was sitting in. Kitty had made herself as comfortable as possible on the ratty old couch.  
"You know a part of me is always going to love you, Lance. And I still wanted to be friends with you."  
"So why did you leave me, then?"  
"I had to Lance! You were dealing drugs. I didn't want to be associated with it, and I still don't. I know you cleaned yourself up and everything since then, but I, like, just couldn't deal with that, you know?"  
  
"Kitty, you really, really shouldn't be here."  
"Did you send all those letters from here?"  
"Yeah."  
"And that's why you didn't put the return address on it? Not because you couldn't let me know where you and your friends were, but because you didn't, like, want me to know that you were still in town?"  
"Something like that."  
"Lance, come on...why can't you just be straight with me?"  
"I'm always straight with you, Kitty. I told you the truth in those letters. I do love you, and I am still jealous that you chose the furry one over me."  
"No, you chose drugs over *me*."  
"Whatever. You shouldn't be here."  
"Is it really that big of a deal, Lance?"  
"Yeah, it is."  
"Fine, I'll leave. But I'm coming back."  
"Whatever."  
"Do you, like, want me to call next time or something? I don't want to show up at a bad time or anything."  
"Why would you come back here?"  
"Because I don't want to lose you as a friend, Lance. We have a lot of history together."  
"And that actually means something to you?"  
"Of course it does. How would you even think that it doesn't?" Lance looked at the ground.  
"I'm sorry, Kitty."  
"For what?"  
"Everything. Everything I've ever said or done that's hurt you."  
"I know."  
"But I'm serious, Kitty. You really shouldn't be here."  
"Lance, can I ask why you're so hell bent on me not being here?"  
"I can't tell you."  
"Since when can't you tell me things?"  
"Kitty, I'm completely serious. I cannot tell you this, and you absolutely have to leave. Like, right now."  
"Why?"  
Suddenly, there was a loud pounding on the door. Without thinking, Kitty went to answer it.  
"Kitty, stop!" But she didn't listen. She swung open the door. On the other side were three huge, creepy looking guys that she'd never seen before.  
"Where's Alvers?" one of them asked.  
"Who are you?" Kitty responded. They pushed past her and made their way into the house.  
"Excuse you," she mumbled. One of them stopped and looked at her.  
"Hey Frankie, Alvers' has got a little chick here." One of them, Frankie, Kitty assumed, looked back at her.  
"Well, ain't she pretty." The first one backed Kitty into a corner.  
"Yeah, you're real pretty," he said, flashing her a smile that made her blood run cold. "What's your name?"  
"K-K-Kitty," she stammered.  
"Kitty? Pretty Kitty," he said mockingly. Pretty Kitty was what Lance used to call her. All of a sudden, she absolutely hated that name. Kitty tried to side step the guy, but he put his arm out, blocking her. He used his other hand to slightly grope her.  
'I think I'm going to be sick,' she thought wearily. She gave him a hard push. He stumbled back. She made a mental note to thank Logan and Scott for all the hours of training they'd put her through in the past several years.  
She ran into the living room where the other two guys were with Lance.  
"Pay up, Alvers," Frankie said.  
"I told you, I don't have it," Lance was saying. Frankie grabbed Lance's shirt.  
"You said you'd have it today. We gave you plenty of chances."  
"Yeah, well I'm going to need another one."  
"Lance?" Kitty asked from the doorway. The two guys whipped around.  
"Kitty, I told you to get out of here!" Lance said.  
"What's going on?" she asked, confused.  
"Kitty, leave!"  
"No, Kitty, stay," Frankie said. He nodded at her, and she felt someone grab her from behind. It was the same guy that had be grabbing at her. He tossed Kitty across the room. Lance managed to catch her.  
"What's going on?" she asked again.  
"This your little girlfriend?" Frankie asked.  
"No," Lance said.  
"I'm his ex-girlfriend," Kitty offered timidly.  
"How did a gorgeous thing like her put up with someone like you?" Frankie asked. Clearly he was the leader, and the other two were his lackeys.  
"Lance happens to be a very good guy," Kitty said.  
"Yeah, a good guy who owes us $1000," Frankie said. Kitty looked at him, shocked.  
"Why do you owe them that much money?" she asked.  
"Kitty— " Lance began, but Frankie cut him off.  
"Coke." Kitty stared hard at Lance.  
"I thought you were done drugs."  
"I told you to leave," was all Lance had to say. Kitty shook her head, tears stinging her eyes.  
"Yeah, I hear you. I'm going." She started to leave, but the second lackey, the one who hadn't said anything, blocked her. She was tempted to use her powers, but she knew better. "Excuse me."  
"You're not going anywhere, girly," the lackey that tried to grope her said. He pushed her back towards Lance. She lost her balance and fell over.  
"Kitty!" Lance cried. He knelt down to try to help her up, but Frankie stopped him.  
"Don't move!" he shouted. Lance glared at him, and then proceeded to try to help Kitty. Frankie pulled out a gun and aimed it at Lance. "I *said* don't move!" Lance stood up straighter.  
"Look, I'll get you your money," he said. "It just may take another week."  
"Yeah, well I ain't got a week," Frankie said. "Give it to me now, or I'll shoot you."  
"I don't *have* it now."  
"Oh, well." Frankie's finger went to the trigger. Kitty jumped up and in front of Lance.  
"Wait!"  
The gun fired. 


	27. After the Shot

Chapter Twenty-Seven  
  
Lance sat in the hospital waiting room. He'd called the institute, and some of them were on their way. He prayed Logan wasn't among them.  
Frankie had fired the gun too fast. Kitty didn't have time to phase.  
Once Kitty went down, Frankie and his guys left immediately. They knew Lance wouldn't rat them out. And Lance knew that if he did, he'd either end up dead or in jail. Not that he wouldn't gladly do either for her. He refused to talk to anyone or to give any statements. He just told the hospital that Kitty had been shot, without any other details.  
'This is all my fault,' he thought wearily to himself. 'She's in there because of me.' He sighed and blinked back a few tears. 'She's always been too good for me. I don't know what made me think we could ever be friends. I push everyone away. And the ones I don't push away get hurt.' He looked towards the room Kitty was in. 'And sometimes the ones I push away get hurt, anyway.'  
Lance rested his head in his hands. He had to think of a way to get revenge on Frankie. For Kitty. He knew she wouldn't want him to go looking for a fight, but this was different. Someone *shot* her. And with God as his witness, Lance swore that nothing like that would ever happen to her again.  
He never even got a chance to tell her that he wasn't still doing drugs.  
Of course, he was dealing them again. He really needed the money. He didn't have a high school diploma, so he couldn't get a decent-paying job. And he had to pay all the bills for the Brotherhood's house by himself. The other guys were long gone. He couldn't remember when he last saw Mystique. He suspected she was around, because she had some odd obsession with keeping in contact with her kids. Not that she ever made any solemn effort to be a real mother to Kurt and Rogue.  
He needed money and fast. So he took up dealing again. He took out a loan from Frankie. $1000 worth of cocaine. He sold it all, but he'd spent all the money on bills. He realized fast that things wouldn't even out, so he'd taken crappy part time job, making minimum wage. He had planned on using that money to pay back Frankie and his boys.  
His next paycheck, the one that would've given him enough money, wasn't coming to him until later in the week.  
He was only about $300 short. He was about to give them the other $700, hoping that would help buy him the rest of the week, but then Kitty jumped up and got in the way of the bullet.  
He had already made the decision to stop with the drugs once he'd paid Frankie back. He was going to try to get more hours at his "real" job, and once he finished his equivalency, he was going to try to get a better paying job.  
He wanted to pay back Kitty.  
She'd lent him so much money over the years. He knew she never kept track, because she was happy to help him out. But he did. He knew exactly how much he owed her, down to the last cent. And he wanted her to have it back. She would be going to college in the fall, and she'd need all the money she could get.  
College.  
His sweet, pretty Kitty that he loved more than life itself, was completely an adult. She was going to college.  
With Kurt. Her boyfriend.  
Lance sighed again. He said a quick silent prayer that Kitty would be okay enough to make it to college.  
He knew it wasn't life threatening, but he was still worried. Kitty had been shot. By a bullet meant for him.  
'I never should have let her stay. I should have told her to leave and I'd call her later. Why did I answer her questions? Why didn't she listen when I told her to leave? Why her? Why not met?'  
His thoughts were interrupted by someone grabbing his shirt and pulling him out the door. He couldn't see who it was, although he had a pretty good idea.  
Once outside, Lance felt his body get slammed up against the wall. Two claws shot our on either sides of his face. He knew at any minute the middle one could go right through his face. He almost wished it would.  
"What happened?" Logan growled.  
"She was in the wrong place at the wrong time," Lance replied. "I tried to get her to leave, but she wouldn't."  
"So you're saying it's her fault?" Lance sighed.  
"Twist my words however you want, Wolverine," he said. "The point is, Kitty's in there, and she's hurt. Do you really think she wants to know that we've been fighting once the morphine wears off?" Logan growled again, and his claws returned into his fist. He tossed Lance to the ground.  
"I'm watching you, Alvers." He walked back into the hospital. Lance picked himself up off the ground and followed.  
Professor X, Jean and Kurt were in the waiting room. Kurt was frantically trying to get information from a nurse. Jean was standing close by, trying to keep him as calm as she could. Logan had pushed his way through everyone towards to cafeteria to get a cup of coffee. The professor looked over at Lance.  
"Lance, what happened today?" he asked. Lance shrugged, then motioned towards his head. Professor X nodded, and let himself into Lance's memory to see what had happened. Lance didn't feel anything. The entire scene had been replaying in his head since it happened.  
"Lance, do you need money?" the professor asked quietly. Lance shook his head.  
"No, I'm handling it."  
"Yes, clearly." The professor looked around at their surroundings. "This isn't handling it, Lance. Why don't you try giving the institute another try?"  
'So I can watch Kitty and Blue Boy parade around together? So that every time I turn around Summers or Wolverine will be ready to attack me or blame something on me?' Lance thought grimly to himself.  
"No way," was what he actually said. But the professor knew what he was thinking.  
"Sometimes, the past is just the past, Lance," he said. "Bygones can be bygones."  
"Thanks, but no thanks." Lance moved then. Kurt glanced over and saw him. He left the nurse, who wasn't telling him much, and sprinted over to Lance.  
"What the hell did you do to her?" Kurt shouted.  
"Kurt!" Professor X said. "Try to remain calm."  
"CALM?! Professor, Kitty in the ER right now, with a gunshot wound!"  
"In her shoulder," Lance said. "She's not going to *die*, Kurt."  
"And you should be very thankful for that, otherwise I'd kill you!" Kurt was near hysteria. Lance started to lose his patience.  
"Look, Blue," Lance said. "I don't want her to be in there any more than you do. I didn't know she was coming. If I had, I would've told her to wait another day. But she showed up. I didn't let her in, she let herself in." He gave them a look, letting them know that she'd phased in. "I asked her to leave, and I told her to leave. She wouldn't listen. I'm not saying this is her fault, but I'm not letting you put all the blame on me. Some of it, fine. You'll do that anyway, even if I wasn't here. But not all of it. In fact, Blue Boy, some of it goes to you, as well."  
"Me? How do you figure that?" Kurt asked.  
"Because if it wasn't for you opening your mouth, she would've thought I was still gone, and she never would've stopped by."  
"But I'm sure when that bullet had killed you, she would've figure it out," Kurt retorted. But he was hit with a pang of guilt. Something of what Lance said struck him as true. Kitty never would've gone over to the Brotherhood house if he hadn't told her that Lance was there.  
Kurt slumped back in a chair. He got himself lost in his own thoughts, until he was interrupted.  
'Don't let him get to you, Kurt,' Jean's voice came into his head.  
'I'm not.'  
'Kurt, this isn't your fault.'  
'I know.'  
'No, you don't. You're sitting there feeling guilty. Lance is just as upset about this as you are.'  
'How can you say that?!'  
'Well, technically I'm not saying anything; I'm thinking.' Kurt saw Jean smile. 'My point is, I know that you don't think you're the only one who cares about Kitty. In his own way, Lance loves her. Do you really think he'd purposely put Kitty in any danger?'  
'No.' Kurt let out a loud sigh, and everyone turned at looked him. Everyone went back to being quiet. All they could do was wait.  
  
Rogue awoke later. Remy wasn't in the room anymore. She knew her powers were definitely back now. She could feel them.  
She felt much better. She wanted to get out of that bed, take a shower and put on some fresh clothes. No was around. She wondered if she could get up.  
'Man, I need a bell or something,' she thought to herself. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement in the hallway.  
"Hey!" she called. "Where is everyone?" Remy opened the door and walked in.  
"You're up," he said. "How're you feeling?"  
"Fine," she said. "But I really want to take a shower. You think the professor will let me outta here today?"  
"Hm? Oh, sure, chere. Go ahead and get up."  
'Something's up,' Rogue immediately realized. She decided to make herself look presentable before she started asking questions, though. She hopped out of the bed and flew up to the bathroom. She took the fastest, most efficient shower she could, then put on some clean clothes. She brushed her teeth, dried her hair and raced down to the kitchen for some coffee. Minutes later, Remy appeared.  
"Alright, Cajun, what's going on?"  
"What?"  
"What's going on?" Rogue repeated. Remy wasn't paying attention, though. Rogue began to get scared. She flew around the table and stopped in front of him. She grabbed his shirt and pulled him to her.  
"Remy, I'm serious. Tell me what's going on." Remy sighed.  
"You sure you're feeling better, chere?"  
"Yeah."  
"Really?"  
"Remy! I swear, I will pull off these gloves and take you out. If for no other reason than to just find out what's going on. So why don't you save both of us a lot of trouble, and just tell me whatever it is that you know. Where is everyone?" Remy sat down at the table and motioned for Rogue to sit, too. She did.  
"Scott is out somewhere," Remy began. "And the professor, Logan, Jean and Kurt are at the hospital."  
"The hospital? Why?" Rogue asked, surprised. Remy glanced at the ground, then back at Rogue.  
"Someone shot Petite."  
  
Kurt had begun pacing through the waiting room. He couldn't shake the guilty feeling.  
'It's my fault,' he kept thinking. 'She wouldn't have been there if it wasn't for me.'  
At the same time, Lance was thinking, 'This is my fault. I should've done more to protect her.'  
A door opened, and a doctor walked out. He flipped through some papers, trying to figure out the name of the persons he was supposed to speak to.  
"Kurt Wagner and/or Charles Xavier?" he said. Kurt rushed over to him, and the professor slowly wheeled over.  
"Ms. Pryde has both of you listed as her persons to contact in case of an emergency," the doctor said. "And a gunshot wound would qualify as an emergency."  
"Quit with the jokes!" Kurt snapped. "How is she?" 


	28. The Hospital

NOTE: I don't know anything about doctors or surgeries or hospitals (other than what I've seen on General Hospital, that is), so if anything seems kind of unrealistic or stretched or anything of that nature, just ignore it, please, lol. Pretend like I know what I'm talking about. That's what I do. And if this chapter's a little shorter than the past few, sorry. I want to get it up asap before someone kills me.  
  
Chapter Twenty-Eight  
  
"She's stable," the doctor told them. "We removed the bullet. She has a couple stitches that will need to come out in a few weeks—"  
"When can I see her?" Kurt interrupted.  
"Well, she's still out right now. She's on a lot of pain killers."  
"Morphine, right?" Lance said from behind them.  
"Well, yes," the doctor said. "If you really want to go in, you can, but she won't be up for hours." Before he could even finish the sentence, Kurt had pushes past him to the room he'd come out of. He'd been away from Kitty for too long as it was.  
Just as he disappeared back there, Rogue and Remy came bursting through the doors.  
"Where is she?!" Rogue yelled.  
"Kurt's with her now," Jean said. Rogue turned to Lance.  
"How did this happen?" she shouted at him. He rolled his eyes at his former housemate.  
"Talk to one of them," he said. "I have somewhere to be." He turned to walk out, but stopped and look back. "Tell Kitty I'll stop by later."  
"The hell you will—" Rogue started, but Professor X put a hand on her covered arm.  
"It's alright, Rogue," he said. "I'll explain it to you I just a minute. Let me finish talking with the doctor, first."  
"Come on, chere, have a seat," Remy said leading Rogue towards a chair. She sat down, and Jean and Remy joined her.  
"Try to stay calm, Rogue," Jean said. "The doctors are doing every they can to make sure Kitty's okay."  
"Aren't they going to notice something odd with her blood work?" Rogue reminded them. She lowered her voice. "And advanced X-gene, perhaps?"  
"The professor will know how to handle that if it comes up," Jean assured her. "Worrying won't help anything."  
"Why can't we all go see her?" Rogue asked.  
"She's sleeping, Rogue."  
"Kurt's with her." Jean smiled.  
"Do you think that there's anything on this planet that would keep him away from her? He feels the same way about Kitty that Remy feels about you. He never left your side while you were unconscious yesterday." Rogue blushed, and Remy took her gloved hand.  
"Your brother needs to be with her, chere," he said. "His presence is probably good for Petite, as well."  
"She's out like a light, she has no idea he's there."  
"I'm sure she does," Jean said. "Didn't you feel Gambit's presence yesterday?"  
"I was *unconscious*," Rogue said, exasperated. She leaned back in the chair and watched the doctor and Professor X talking.  
She did feel his presence.  
  
Lance made his way towards the cafeteria. Logan never came back, and he knew that he wouldn't have left until he heard how Kitty was.  
He was right.  
Logan was sitting at a table by himself with a cup of coffee and a newspaper. Lance walked right up to him.  
"What do you want?" Logan asked.  
"She's out of surgery. She's still passed out, but she'll be okay."  
"Fine. Why are you telling me this?"  
"Because I thought you'd be interested in what's happening next."  
"Well, I'm not."  
"How do you know? I haven't even told you what it was yet."  
"Does it relate to Half-Pint?"  
"Technically, yes."  
"Fine. Make it fast."  
"I'm on my way to find the guy who did this to her."  
"Why're you telling me this?"  
"I thought you might be interested in joining me." Logan looked up at him.  
"You sure that's a good idea?"  
"He meant to shoot me, and he shot her. I'm not letting him get away with it."  
"You're likely to get yourself killed, bub."  
"You know that I'd gladly die for her." Logan stared at him. Lance wasn't lying.  
"You know where to find him?"  
"Yeah."  
"Lead the way, kid. But keep in mind...I'm watching you, too." Lance rolled his eyes.  
"I wouldn't expect anything less."  
  
Kurt sat down beside Kitty's bed. Just yesterday he spent the day beside his sister. Today, it was his girlfriend.  
He looked sadly at her. Her face was pale. There were black knots tied into her shoulder. He shuddered. It pained him just to see it.  
His eyes filled with tears. His Katzchen, his beautiful Katzchen, could have died. Someone pulled out a gun, aimed it, pulled the trigger, and shot her. Why didn't she phase? Why didn't she start phasing the second she saw the gun?  
He knew why. They all knew why. It was courageous of her, but dumb at the same time. He knew that as soon as she woke up and Rogue was in there, she'd let Kitty have it.  
A second later, Rogue burst through the door.  
"Ya know, they think they know me so well," she said to her brother. "They told me to wait out there with the rest of them, doing nothing, and that the doctors would let us know when we could come in, and blah, blah, blah. They said only you could be in here right now, because she needs you more than the rest of us. Now, I know that's true and all, but you and I both know I have zero patience. And apparently, all you have to do to get away from the clutches of Jean and Remy is tell them you're going to the bathroom." Kurt smiled faintly.  
"Apparently you're feeling better."  
"Yeah." She hugged her brother's shoulders from behind him and rested her chin on his left shoulder, making sure her cheek didn't touch his.  
"She'll be okay, right?" she asked softly.  
"That's what they say."  
"She'll be okay," Rogue said again, this time with more confidence. "I mean, she survived a relationship with Lance. That couldn't have hurt worse than a bullet."  
"I'm pretty sure the bullet's worse, sis. This wound's actually leaving a scar."  
"Relationships leave scars, too, Kurt. Just not visible ones."  
"I shouldn't have told her that Lance was back."  
"Do not even try to blame yourself for this, Kurt Wagner. I'll tell Cat there when she wakes up. And you know she'll be pissed if you beating yourself up over this."  
"She wouldn't have gone there if I hadn't mentioned it to her."  
"Kurt, she would've found out eventually anyway. And this could have been a lot worse, too."  
"She could have died."  
"But she didn't."  
Kitty's head turned slightly. She let out a small sigh. Kurt grabbed her hand.  
"Katzchen? Are you awake?" Kitty's eyes fluttered, then she opened them slightly.  
"What happened?" she asked. Kurt let out a relieved sigh.  
"You were shot in the shoulder," he told her. "Over at Lance's."  
"Lance..." Suddenly, Kitty was more alert. "Lance! Is he okay?"  
"He's fine," Kurt said.  
"He left, but he said he'd stop by later," Rogue said.  
"What about the other guys?" Kitty asked.  
"What other guys?" Kurt asked.  
"The guy who shot me and his friends." She paused. "'The guy who shot me.' God, that sounds so weird."  
"Lance didn't tell us anything about anything," Kurt said. "Just that someone meant to shoot him, but you got in the way."  
"Dealers, of some sort," Kitty explained. "I didn't get all the details, either."  
"Katzchen, what were you thinking?"  
"I was trying to help."  
"Why didn't you phase?" Rogue hissed.  
"Because people don't know about mutants, and I didn't exactly want to tip these guys off."  
"Kitty, you just said they were dealers. That means they're probably users, too. Do you really think that if a bunch of drug addicts went around telling people they shot a girl and the bullet went right through her without leaving a mark that anyone would believe them?"  
"I didn't have a lot of time to think about it." Kitty yawned. "I'm going to go back to sleep, now. Tell everyone I'm okay, will you?"  
"Yeah, sure," Rogue said with a nod. She squeezed Kitty's hand, then left. She looked up at Kurt.  
"Don't leave me."  
"I'm not going anywhere," he told her. "I'm staying as long as you have to." Kitty smiled slightly.  
"I was scared."  
"I know you were."  
"I was scared that I'd never see you again. Or that I'd never get a chance to say that I was sorry again for what I did over the summer..."  
"Kitty, you don't have to apologize. You already did about a million times."  
"I was scared that I'd never be able to tell that that I loved you."  
"I know you do. And I love you, too." Kitty yawned again.  
"You'll be here when I wake up?"  
"I will always be there when you wake up." Kitty smiled, then fell asleep almost immediately. Kurt rubbed her hand against his cheek. "Forever, Katzchen." 


	29. Lance

Chapter Twenty-Nine  
  
Kitty awoke several hours later. Kurt was there, as promised. He was asleep, however. Professor X had pulled some strings, and the hospital set up another bed right beside Kitty's for Kurt. It was almost like being at home, except with morphine.  
Kitty stared at Kurt for a few minutes. Someone had brought him some food. There was an empty bag beside him and about five burger wrappers sticking out of it. She smiled faintly. She knew he probably didn't even notice that he'd eaten them all. His appetite never went away, even when he was worried. He'd still eat the way he normally did, he just wouldn't notice it.  
She thought about what Scott had told her. Would being Kurt's wife really be such a bad thing? At an early age, that is. She knew her parents wouldn't like it if she got married when she was 18. But she was an adult and could do what she wanted, with or without their approval. She really wanted their approval, though. She also considered Jean and Scott. They'd put a lot of years into their relationship. It really wasn't fair for her and Kurt to get married before they did. In her eyes, anyway.  
When did her life get so complicated? She was an eighteen-year-old girl who just got out of high school. She was supposed to be enjoying her youth, getting ready for college. Not worrying about marriage. Not sleeping with men twice (or possibly three times) her age. Not lying in a hospital bed with a gunshot wound.  
The boyfriend thing made the most sense to her. That should have been the most complicated thing in her life: the fact that she had Kurt, and that her ex still loved her. That was a normal teenager problem.  
Everyone had always told her not to get mixed up with Lance. They all told her about how horrible he was, how he'd break her heart, how he only cared about himself, how he wouldn't care if he hurt her.  
When that shot was fired at her, Lance did the one thing Kitty was afraid to do: use his powers. He immediately avalanched the room. Frankie tripped, and the gun fell out of his hand. Frankie and his boys hurried out. Lance called the hospital and told them he was on his way. He pulled the ribbon out of Kitty's hair and tied it around her arm, hoping to stop some of the bleeding. He picked her up and carried her out to his jeep, and drove her to the hospital. He told the doctors that she was shot, and while he didn't know any of her information (other than her name, address, age and birth date), he knew how to reach people who did. They let him use the phone, and he called the institute.  
He didn't leave her lying on the floor in his house. He refused to let her bleed to death. He took care of the situation immediately, and then called the closest family she had so they could be with her and help take care of her.  
He never once thought about himself.  
The fact that the X-Men would blame him never crossed his mind. That wasn't important. What was important was making sure Kitty got the help she needed. And if he had to put up with them yelling at him, then fine. He'd suffer through it.  
Once Kitty was in the ER, that was when he realized that Kurt and Rogue (and Logan and Summers if they came along, too) would go off on him. He considered leaving, but he knew he wouldn't. He couldn't. He couldn't leave Kitty there without anyone. For the time being, he was all she had. Once everyone else showed up and he was threatened and blamed, he knew it was okay to leave. Kitty was surrounded by people who loved her.  
Lance just wished he could be welcome in that group of people.  
Kitty looked over at Kurt. She reached over and took his hand in hers. She wanted to turn off his image inducer, but she knew that wasn't a good idea. She was already lucky that no one noticed she was a mutant. She'd needed a blood transfusion and everything. Or maybe they did notice, and the Professor wiped it from their minds, and in the process, Jean could've changed her chart. She made a mental note to ask later.  
She squeezed Kurt's hand, grateful that she had such a loyal boyfriend who stuck to his word. If he said he wouldn't leave her, he meant it. She was fairly certain he wouldn't even go to the bathroom unless clearing it with her first, or leaving her a note if it was an emergency. She giggled to herself.  
'I'm so incredibly lucky,' she thought to herself for about the millionth time since she and Kurt began dating years ago. Then her arm was overcome by an enormous amount of pain, and she came crashing back to Earth. 'Lucky with a side of reality.' She pushed the button on a machine, and within minutes, the morphine had taken the pain away.  
  
Lance pounded his fist on the door. It cracked slightly, and Eddie, the guy who had groped Kitty, stuck his head out.  
"What d'you want, Alvers? You got the money?"  
"I don't have time for this crap," Lance snapped. He avalanched the door open, and he and Logan walked in.  
"Oh, Wolves, that one right there had his hands on her," Lance said with a nod at Eddie. Logan growled at him, and Eddie looked genuinely scared.  
Lance walked up to Frankie, lifted him up by his shirt and slammed him against the wall, the same way Logan had done to him earlier.  
"We've got a problem, Frankie," Lance said angrily.  
"So your chick got shot," Frankie said simply. "She shouldn't have been in the way."  
"You shouldn't have been around her at all!" Lance shouted. The house began shaking, and bits of the walls and ceiling started to fall. "You should have walked out the second you saw her."  
"You have my money, Alvers," Frankie said. "You have it, I want it, and someone got hurt. That's the way of the world. Now are you here to apologize and give me what's mine?"  
Logan grabbed Frankie then and pushed Lance aside. His claws shot out of his hands.  
"I think maybe you owe the girl an apology first, bub," he snapped. He could smell someone coming up to him, so he stuck out his other arm behind him, his claws drawn. He turned his head back slightly, and saw Eddie. "Don't worry, pal, you're next." He turned back to Frankie. "You shot the girl, and now you'll pay the consequences."  
"Who the hell are you? Her father?"  
"What if I am?"  
"Then I think you should know who your slutty daughter's been sleeping with." Logan twitched. He didn't want to think about that.  
"Yeah, it's true," Eddie piped up. "She was coming on to me, not the other way around."  
"Eddie, shut the hell up," Lance said irritated.  
"You should know better than to let pretty girls hang around guys like Alvers," Frankie said. "You never know what's going to happen to her. A snort here, a shot there...I wouldn't be surprised if she were coked up when she showed up over there. Or maybe she'd been there all night and was getting ready to leave." He smiled evilly. "Pretty girls don't keep their legs closed."  
That was it.  
Logan stabbed Frankie in the shoulder with his claws. He wanted to kill him. It took everything he had *not* to kill him. So he had to settle for messing the kid up.  
Lance turned and swung. He hit Eddie in the jaw. Eddie, being severely messed up on God knows what, fell over right away. He tried to get up and fight back, but he kept losing his balance. Well, Lance was helping him out in that department.  
Shortly after, when there was enough blood shed, Logan and Lance began to retreat. At the door, Lance turned back.  
"Here, Frankie," he said. He three $500 on the floor. "I'd give you the rest of it, but I'm $300 short. Besides, after shooting an innocent girl, I think you contributing $500 towards her medical bills is the least you can do. And by the way, I'm out. Don't contact me again."  
Lance slammed the door behind him. He ran to catch up with Logan.  
"You put up a good fight, kid," Logan said.  
"Well, I couldn't let them do what they did to Kitty and get away with it. Aren't you worried about them saying anything to the cops? About your little knives, there?"  
"First off, they ain't little. Second, they were all full of drugs. No one would believe them. And what would they say, anyway? 'Officer, because I shot a girl over money another guy owed me for drugs, two guys kicked my ass, one who could make earthquakes and one who had claws'? Get real."  
"Yeah, I guess."  
"And while we're on the topic..." Logan stopped and turned to Lance. "Stay away from her."  
"What?"  
"You heard me, bub. Stay away from Kitty."  
"Why? They're not going after her. Not after what we just did to them."  
"Because if you're on drugs, I don't want her around you. She won't want to be around you, either. Charles wouldn't let her anyway. And I'm pretty sure you don't want to upset me, Summers and the Elf."  
"I'm not doing drugs." Logan stared, and Lance let out a sigh. "I was selling them. Was. Not anymore. That was enough to make me get out."  
"How do I know you're not lying?"  
"Because I'm not. Go ahead. Test me. Send Jean or the bald guy into my head. Do whatever you want to do. But I'm telling you the truth." Lance started to walk away. "But I'm going to see her. Right now." 


	30. Confessions of an Avalanche

Chapter Thirty  
  
Lance knocked on the door of Kitty's hospital room. She was awake, and Kurt was sitting on her bed next to her, her head on his shoulder. Kurt was looking down at her, and she was staring at the hospital blanket. They were having a quiet conversation. Lance couldn't hear what they were saying.  
Kitty looked up and saw Lance standing there.  
"Hey, Lance," she said softly. Kurt's head shot up.  
"Get out," he said, standing up.  
"Kurt—" Kitty started.  
"Katzchen, I'll handle this. Leave, Avalanche."  
"Kurt, you're acting like a child."  
"Yeah, Kurt." Lance smirked. He pushed the door open the rest of the way and walked in. He was carrying a bouquet of pink and white roses, Kitty's favorite. Kurt was hit with a pang of guilt. Getting her flowers never even occurred to him.  
Lance put the flowers on table by Kitty's bed.  
"Can I talk to you?" he asked quietly. "Alone?"  
"Yes," Kitty said. She looked at Kurt. "I'll be fine, Kurt. I promise."  
"Fine." Kurt started towards the door. "I'll be right outside, Kitty."  
"I know you will," she said with a grin. Kurt left, and Lance pulled a chair up next to Kitty's bed.  
"Kitty, I'm sorry."  
"You didn't shoot me."  
"I know, but I'm still sorry this happened to you."  
"Forget it."  
"Kitty, no one's that well adjusted."  
"Okay, so I'm angry."  
"We took care of those guys."  
"We?"  
"Me and Logan." Kitty laughed.  
"You and Logan fought on the same side?"  
"Yep. Tore them to shreds." Kitty suddenly looked worried.  
"You didn't *kill* them, did you? Because that's, like, a little harsh. They didn't kill me, after all."  
"We didn't kill them. Wanted to. Really, really wanted to. But we didn't." Lance squirmed a little. "Frankie...the one who shot you...he might be dead."  
"What?!"  
"That was Logan, though. He put those claws right through him. His shoulder. Exactly where he got you. I don't know if he'll get to a hospital or not, so he may die of blood loss or something."  
"Oh my God."  
"Kitty, don't worry about. He may be a dealer, but his lackeys are pretty smart. I'm sure one of them brought him over to a clinic or something. If it will make you feel better, I'll check up on it later."  
"I don't want anyone to die because of me."  
"You could've died because of me." Kitty reached her hand out, and Lance took it. She squeezed his hand and sighed.  
"Lance, I never said it was, like, easy to be your friend or your girlfriend," she said. "I know there's, like, a lot going on with you. A lot of complicated matters, a lot of stress, lot of everything. And I never walked away from you, did I?"  
"You were going to walk today."  
"Not forever. I didn't want to be around those guys. I was planning on leaving and then coming back later. Making sure to, like, call first, you know?" Lance stifled a laugh.  
"I'm not doing drugs, Kitty."  
"Lance—"  
"No, listen."  
"Okay."  
"I'm honestly not. Frankie is the guy I used to buy my drugs from back when we were dating. You know that after you left me I stopped, because I wanted you back."  
"Lance—"  
"Let me finish. I wanted you back, but I saw how happy you were with Blue Boy. It killed me. I mean—" Lance quickly searched for a new word. "—it broke my heart. Of course, I couldn't exactly let that out, because you know what Fred, Todd and Pietro would've done. They loved to torture me as it was about you. I know I shouldn't have cared what they said or thought, but...it was high school. I did care. So I had to put on that bad boy, tough guy image. And all while I put on that face at school, I was watching you and Kurt walk around together, looking happy. You had this look on your face that I'd never seen before, and it tore me up. Every time you walked by, I started flirting with the closest girl, hoping to spark some type of jealousy in you."  
"Sometimes I was," Kitty admitted quietly.  
"Well, you did a damn good job hiding it." Lance sighed. "I saw how happy you were, and it made me want to be better. I wanted to be good enough for you. So I stopped doing everything that I thought you'd disapprove of. Smoking, drinking, drugs, selling. Everything. I tried to do better in school. I tried to keep my friends from hassling yours. I did everything I could think of to make you want me again. Nothing ever worked. You didn't even seem to notice."  
Kitty's eyes filled with tears. She'd never heard him talk that way.  
"But I wasn't doing drugs, Kitty. I was selling them because I needed the money. This was going to be the last time. And now, after what happened to you, I'm definitely done. I'd do anything to make sure nothing like this ever happens to you again. I bought drugs from him, sold them, and then used some of it to pay bills. I have another job, a real job, and I was going to use that money to pay off the rest of what I owed Frankie. When Logan and I went back there, I gave him half the money and told him the rest of it was going towards your hospital bills." He pulled out his wallet. "I only have $300 right now. I'm getting a paycheck in a few days. You can have it. I mean, I'll sign it over to you so all this can be paid for." He touched the IV cord. "I don't want you or the professor or anyone to feel obligated to have to pay for this whole hospital thing."  
"Lance, that's really sweet, but you don't have to do that."  
"No, I do have to. And even if I didn't have to, I want to. I'd do anything for you," he said again. She blushed lightly.  
"You're great, Lance. You really are." She tugged on his sleeve, and he moved over and sat beside her on the bed. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. His arms went around her waist. He breathed in her hair. It was a familiar, pleasant smell. It'd been so long since he felt that at home with someone, anyone. And it was always her.  
"You are the only person who ever made me feel like a whole person, Kitty. You never judged me or looked down on me or made me feel like I wasn't worth anything."  
"You know I'd never intentionally hurt your feelings, Lance."  
"You did make me feel like I wasn't good enough for you," he said. "I know you didn't do that on purpose. And I know you didn't even know that you made me feel that way. I think it was inevitable. I love you, but you're meant for someone else." Lance touched her cheek. "Even in a hospital gown, you look beautiful." He stood up and headed towards the door.  
"Lance," Kitty called out to him. He turned to look at her, and she motioned for him to come back. When he reached her bed, she put her hands on his shoulders, pulled him towards her, and kissed him lightly on the cheek. 


	31. Setting Up

**_NOTE:_** Sorry this has taken a lot longer than usual. I haven't been home lately. I want to get a chapter out, though, so if this one is super short or just sucks, I'm sorry. I just want you guys to know I'm alive and well and not abandoning this story. I know exactly how I want it to end, it's just a matter of getting there. Oh, and I put in a quote from the show in this chapter. Who can find it?  
  
**Chapter Thirty-One  
**  
Kitty was released from the hospital the next day. Kurt made a big show of pushing her wheel chair out to the parking lot. Rogue rolled her eyes and groaned. Remy smirked, and Jean mentally told Scott that they were one of the most adorable couples she'd ever seen.  
Once they got back to the mansion, Kurt teleported Kitty to his room. He'd talked to the professor, and it was decided that as long as everyone was okay with it, Kitty would move into his room. Rogue had been up half the night before moving some of Kitty's things in.  
Rogue had suddenly become Kitty's best friend. After everything that had gone on between the two of them over all the years, Rogue felt so guilty about contacting Amanda and the horrible things she said to her. She'd done everything she could to try to make things better. Kitty had obviously forgiven her, but she wanted to do something.  
Rogue thought about back when they were all in high school together. She and Kitty had pretty much hated each other at first. They looked at each other as sisters, sharing a room that, while it was huge, wasn't big enough for both of them. They fought all the time for the first few months. But Kitty always tried to be friendly. Rogue just didn't want to get close to anyone. She always felt a little bad about being mean to her, but she didn't want to risk hurting anyone. Eventually, Kitty and Kurt and Scott and everyone broke down her walls a little bit, and she made friends with everyone. She took to the males more than to Jean and Kitty, but slowly she and Kitty became really good friends, and when Rogue got over her crush on Scott, she warmed up to Jean.  
She reminisced about her crush on Scott. No one knew about it, except Kitty and Risty, who had actually been Mystique in disguise. Rogue pushed that memory out of her head. She had a feeling that Jean suspected something. The Christmas and Rogue and Scott had met Warren, Rogue noticed that Jean had seen her and Scott during a gift exchange, and she looked a jealous the next day when she left to go home. It was the one perk Rogue had found that year about not having a family: alone time with Scott.  
She laughed to herself. Her and Scott? Scott was a great guy, but he never had eyes for anyone but Jean. And now that she had Remy......She wished she'd had him earlier.  
As if on cue, Remy appeared in the doorway of Kitty's room, Rogue perched on the bed.  
"Trading rooms with Petite, chere?" he asked.  
"Nah. Just moving her stuff into Kurt's room."  
"Ah, so Petite's moving."  
"Just to the other side of the wall." Rogue got up and started tossing a few remaining things into a box. Remy came over and started to help her.  
"That was her old boyfriend, I take it."  
"Yeah, her old drug-dealing boyfriend," Rogue answered bitterly.  
"The one you used to live with."  
"Hey! Only for like, a month, two tops." Remy grinned. "We always told her he was no good for her, but she just didn't listen."  
"You can't control the will of others, chere."  
"And now because of him and his habit, she got hurt. I told her if she stuck with him, she'd eventually get hurt. Maybe now she'll finally listen and keep away from that loser."  
"I don't think he meant for her to get hurt."  
"No, he never means to do anything."  
"Chere, let Remy ask you something. What did people say to you when you started hanging around me, before I came here?"  
"Logan said you were a swamp rat, Scott said you couldn't be trusted, Kitty said you freaked her out—"  
"They didn't like me, right?"  
"Right."  
"What do they say now?" Rogue blushed lightly. She didn't want to repeat everyone telling her to be nicer to him and that he loved her and all that. But Remy knew. He smiled at her. "They like me now, no?"  
"This is different, Remy. You tried"  
"Did you say he tried to come here once, too?"  
"Well, yeah."  
"And didn't he save her life once or twice?"  
"I'm sure Kitty could give you the exact number."  
"And didn't you say that he tried to make some peace between his friends and hers so she'd be more comfortable?"  
"Yes."  
"And didn't he put down $500 for her hospital bills?"  
"Alright! So the bastard loves her. That still doesn't mean she should be around him. He's got some serious issues, and she doesn't need to get mixed up in all that crap. Maybe once he's better, she can start talking to him again, but not as long as he's as messed up as he is."  
"Maybe he needs her to do that, no?" Rogue looked at him.  
"Shut up."  
  
Lance woke up and looked at his clock. He knew he needed to start looking for an apartment. He knew better than to assume that Frankie and his goons wouldn't come looking for him, and they knew where the Brotherhood house was.  
He wasn't even sure he could afford an apartment on his earnings. Not even a studio. Well, maybe a studio, but then there were other things, such as a phone and electricity and food. He needed gas for his jeep so he could _get_ to work, plus insurance.  
And he wanted to pay for the rest of Kitty's hospital bills. Professor X had told him that he didn't need to, but he felt responsible. He felt like it was his place to take care of her.  
Even if she didn't need him anymore.  
He got up and pulled out his checkbook. He did some calculating, and discovered that he'd barely be able to afford everything if only spent money on necessary things. Meaning, he could survive if he revolved his entire life around work and sleep, and cut out anything social.  
But if that would get him the money to help Kitty, he'd do it.  
He looked at the clock again. She would be coming home soon. He called the hospital a hundred times trying to find out, but the nurses wouldn't tell him anything, and every time he called her room, Kurt or Rogue answered, and he knew better than to try to talk to one of them. He finally called the mansion and that Cajun guy gave him the information. Lance vaguely remembered him stopping by with Pietro a few years ago. He seemed like an okay guy. He was on Magneto's side, then, though.  
Lance finally dragged himself to the shower. Welcome or not, he was going to see Kitty. 


	32. Homecoming

**Chapter Thirty-Two**  
  
"Ah, home," Kitty said. Kurt took her by the arm and helped her out of the car.  
"Are you hungry?" he asked her. She nodded.  
"But I don't want to eat right now," she said. "I want to take a nap. In my own bed."  
"Well..." Kurt hadn't gotten around to telling her that they'd moved her into his room. He's wanted to surprise her.  
"What?" Kitty asked. "What's wrong? Did something happen to my room?"  
"No, not exactly," Kurt said. "It's a surprise."  
"Well, 'port us up to my room then, you fuzzy elf," she said with a grin. He grinned back. It'd been a while since she called him that. He could still remember the first time she said it. Well, vaguely. Rogue had knocked him out with her powers, and when he came to, Kitty was so excited that he was okay. She'd been so afraid of him. _Thank God those days are over,_ he though happily.  
"Kurt? Hello?" Kurt shook his head, then looked at Kitty. "Are we going or what?"  
"Well, I'm not sure if your room's ready yet," he said slowly.  
"Kurt, I just got out of the hospital with a gunshot wound," Kitty said. "Please don't torture me like this." Kurt smiled.  
"Fine." He took her hand and teleported them to her room.  
It was completely empty.  
_Thank you, Rogue,_ Kurt thought to himself, relieved.  
Kitty looked around, her jaw practically on the floor.  
"Where......where's all my stuff?" she asked quietly. She whipped around to face Kurt, terror in her eyes. "It's my parents, isn't it? The professor called them, and now they, like, want to come and take me back to Chicago and away from all of you, don't they?!" She gasped, and her hand covered her mouth. "They've been packing all my things since I went into the hospital, weren't they? Kurt, I'm never going to see you again! They'll take me away and never let me come back! They don't even care that I'm eighteen now!"  
"Kitty, Kitty!" Kurt said laughing. He grabbed her wrists and looked her in the eye. "You're being dramatic. No one's making you move. Your parents were called, and they were assured that you were fine, and they didn't need to come visit you, because you weren't going to be in there for too long. However, they are planning on coming to visit you before school starts again."  
"Okay, so then where's all my stuff?" Kurt let go of her wrists and took her hand.  
"Well, before we get into that, let me show you my room." She nodded, confused, and phased them through the wall.  
Rogue was sitting on the bed, waiting for them. She'd arranged everything so that it still looked like Kurt's room, but it looked like Kitty's, too. She put up Kitty's pink curtains and opened the window. Both Kitty and Kurt loved that balcony. She'd put clean sheets on Kurt's queen sized bed and moved Kitty's pillows beside Kurt's. Rogue had pushed Kitty's old bed against a wall, in case they ever got into a fight. She set up Kitty's stereo and moved Kurt's crappy one to a corner of the room in a box labeled "Garage Sale". Rogue had bought a couple of those CD holders that almost looked like shelves, and she stacked all of Kitty and Kurt's CDs in them, in alphabetical order, just like Kitty liked them. She'd put up some framed pictures of Kurt and Kitty around, as well as some pictures of Kitty and her parents, Kurt and his parents, and pictures of them with Rogue, Jean, Scott and even a couple old ones of Kitty and Amara, Kurt and Tabitha, Kurt and Evan, and even one of Kurt, Kitty, Amara, Tabby, Scott and Jean when they all went on that cruise. Rogue had even hung up a huge painting she'd done of Kurt and Kitty together, which she'd copied from Kitty's senior prom pictures.  
"Took ya long enough," Rogue said with a smile.  
Kitty stared at the room in awe.  
"Looks good, sis," Kurt whispered.  
"These strength powers are great for things like this," Rogue whispered back. "Remy and I had worked on it all day yesterday and all night. Just finished a few hours ago."  
"Oh my God..." Kitty said.  
"Ya like it, Cat?" Rogue asked.  
"It's......amazing," Kitty exclaimed. She turned and threw her arms around Rogue. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"  
"I think she likes it," Rogue said with a laugh. Kurt grinned.  
"I'm going to get a soda," he said. "You girls want one?" Kitty shook her head, and Rogue said, "Sure." Kurt insisted on getting Kitty a bottle of water, then ported down to the kitchen.  
"You didn't have to do this," Kitty said.  
"Yes, I did. I was a total bitch to you lately, and you didn't deserve it."  
"Well, I was being kind of slutty."  
"But I was treating you like you were cheating on my brother," Rogue argued. "And you weren't. And it wasn't any of my business, anyway."  
"I don't know what got into me."  
"A couple guys, apparently." Kitty blushed furiously, and Rogue cringed. "Sorry. That was uncalled for."  
"No, it's okay." Kitty wandered out onto the balcony. She leaned against the railing and looked up at the sky. Rogue followed her.  
"Remember how Tabitha used to climb up here and make Kurt sneak her out of the mansion?" Rogue asked suddenly. Kitty laughed.  
"He could never say no to her."  
"Or you."  
"Or you."  
"Well, I'm his big sister."  
"Tabby had him wrapped around her finger."  
"Tabby had almost all men wrapped around her finger. Kurt, Scott, Logan—"  
"Lance." Rogue winced.  
"She had every member of the Brotherhood falling at her feet," she said, trying to make Kitty forget. "She just had that kind of personality."  
"It was really hard not to like her," Kitty agreed.  
"Do y'all ever hear from her?"  
"I think she writes to Kurt once in a while. I don't know anyone else who would address a letter to 'Wild Blue Yonder Boy.'" Rogue laughed.  
"She was funny."  
"She was my favorite shopping partner," Kitty said with a smile. "She had, like, the best taste."  
"And she trained you to talk without saying 'like' six times per sentence."  
"I still say it every so often."  
"I know, you just said it a minute ago." Kitty blushed.  
"Some things never change, do they?"  
"No."  
  
Lance hung up the phone. He was supposed to work that day, but he wanted to go see Kitty. He knew he'd have to battle Rogue and Kurt, but that didn't matter. He had a feeling the Cajun would help him out.  
He collapsed on his bed and stared at the ceiling for a little bit. Then he reached under his bed and pulled out a photo album. The first several pages were full of pictures of him and Kitty, Pietro, Fred, Todd, Wanda, and Tabitha.  
Tabitha.  
He still had mixed feelings about her. When he first met her, he wasn't officially dating Kitty, and Tabby was very cute. She flirted a lot, too. She flirted with everyone. But she especially flirted with him.  
Tabitha had asked him out once or twice, but he always turned her down. Lance knew she also had her eye on Kurt, even though he was dating that Sefton chick. And he still had his heart set on Kitty. Tabby backed off for a while when she started dating Pietro. It wasn't anything serious, just a few dates here and there. And then Lance finally got his chance with Kitty. Everything was perfect.  
For a while, at least.  
Tabitha was dating around, and she hung out with Wanda a lot. That friendship was the big reason that she quit dating Pietro. But she still had her sights set on Lance. And after a while, Lance began to look at her that way, too.  
When Lance first started doing drugs and selling them for money, Tabitha was his partner in crime. She never did anything herself. She was like the go-to person. She loved the excitement of the whole thing. She'd talk to people and figure out what they wanted, then she'd set up a payment plan and arranged a time and place for them to meet Lance. She got twenty percent of each deal. And that was how they became closer.  
Eventually, they got too close. Well, too close considering he had a girlfriend. Kitty never told anyone why she and Lance broke up. Lance never told anyone, either. For a while, it was one of the most discussed things at the high school. It got to the point where it wouldn't have surprised either of them to read about it in the school paper. But no one ever actually knew the reason.  
Lance cheated on Kitty. With Tabitha. Tabitha had been sucking down Jack Daniels all night. Lance did some drugs. One thing led to another, and they woke up the next morning beside each other in his bed.  
He'd regretted it. He didn't regret Tabitha, so much as he regretted cheating on Kitty, whom he cared so much about.  
Kitty was the one who broke it off. She said she couldn't be with him because of all the drugs. But they both knew that was only half the reason. The other half was that he'd slept with someone else. She eventually forgave them both, and she and Tabitha were still friends. She tried to maintain a friendship with Lance, but he didn't know how to just be friends with her. They stopped talking for a while.  
Lance begun to date Tabitha a few months after he and Kitty broke up. They started dating around the same time Kitty and Kurt did. Both Tabitha and Lance were jealous of them, but more Lance than Tabby. She accepted things a lot better than he did. So much had happened in her life that she'd adopted to phrase, "Go with the flow." But Lance wasn't used to that. He wanted stability. He wanted things to be the way they used to be.  
He'd wanted Kitty back. And he still wanted her back.  
He glanced at the clock. He knew for certain that she was home by now. He climbed out of bed and made his way down stairs. He grabbed his keys, and just as he was about to open the door, there was a knock. He looked out the peep hole, and his heart nearly stopped. He swung the door open.  
"Hey, Lance. Long time, no see." 


	33. Old Friends

**Chapter Thirty-Three**  
  
"Whoa, this place is a wreck," Tabitha said as she walked into the Brotherhood house. "Glad I moved out when I did."  
"Tabby, what are you doing here?" Lance asked. "I haven't seen you in over a year."  
"Yeah, I took a road trip across the country," she said lightly. "Came back when half my gas money was gone."  
"So what, you're hear for gas money or for my jeep?"  
"Neither. I need a place to crash for a few days. Is _Mystic's_ room still boarded up? Or is Wanda's room empty?"  
"I haven't the slightest idea, the only room I go in is mine. And you can't stay here."  
"Why not?" Lance sighed.  
"It's a long story. Hop in the jeep with your stuff and I'll explain on the way."  
"On the way where?"  
"That's part of the story." Tabitha shrugged.  
"Alright." She grabbed her purse and a duffle bag and tossed it into the back of Lance's jeep. She tried to get into the driver's side, but Lance stopped her.  
"You don't even know where we're going, Tabby." She laughed.  
"Alright, whatever." She climbed into the passenger's seat. Lance got into the driver's side and began telling her the long story, starting from him dropping out of school up to Kitty getting shot.  
"So now I'm going over to see her," he finished. He stopped at a light.  
"Let me get this straight," Tabitha said. "You were dealing drugs, _again_, and when they came to collect the money, they _shot_ Kitty?"  
"Yep." Tabitha raised her hand and smacked Lance upside the back of his head. "OW! What the hell was that for?!"  
"For putting her in danger, you moron!"  
"I'm the one who drove her to the hospital, called her professor, _and_ paid for her hospital bills!"  
"But you wouldn't have had to do any of that if _you weren't dealing again._"  
"Tabby, I don't need another lecture."  
"Alright, so the guys are going to be looking for you now, is that it? That's why you can't stay at your house? They still want their money?"  
"No, that Logan guy and I went after them and took care of them." Tabitha's jaw dropped.  
"You...and Badger...worked together? On the same side?"  
"Well, Kitty's one topic we agree on. You mess with her, you mess with us." Tabitha snorted.  
"Well, that's great. But that still doesn't explain why you have to leave your house."  
"Once they come to, they _will_ start looking for me. And I just don't want to deal with them anymore. I'm out of the game, and I don't want to see those guys ever again."  
"Well, that's good. I'm proud of you, Lance."  
"Yeah, but now I have to try to scrounge together enough money from my crap job to get an apartment, plus a bunch of other stuff."  
"Hmm. That is a problem."  
"Yeah, but I'll figure it out. I can always go to a shelter or something while I save money."  
"Lance, I'm sure you won't have to do that."  
They drove the rest of the way to the mansion on silence. When they got there, Lance started to knock on the door, but Tabitha pushed him away and kicked the door open, knowing full well that it wasn't locked.  
"HELLO???" she yelled. "Anyone home? BOOM BOOM IS IN THE HOUSE!!"  
Scott and Jean had been in the kitchen. They heard Tabitha's voice, and stared at each other for a minute, stricken with horror.  
"Oh, no," Scott groaned. Jean grinned.  
"Well, this should prove to be an interesting day," she said.  
"Come _on_," Tabitha said, grabbing Lance's hand and pulling him into the mansion. He'd just been standing on the front step. Scott and Jean wandered into the front hall.  
"Hey, Tabitha," Scott said.  
"Hey, Shades," she replied. "You look exactly the same. You, too, Red. But you cut your hair."  
"Yeah, well, it's summer," Jean said.  
"Whoa!" Tabitha rushed over and grabbed Jean's left hand. "Look at the size of that rock! Don't tell me Mr. Stingy paid for that?"  
"Yes, I did. And I go by 'Scott' these days."  
"Yeah, whatever. Where's Blue? And the prof?"  
"I'm here, Tabitha," the professor said, as he entered the room. "It's good to see you again."  
"Yeah, it always is," she said flashing a perfect smile. "So listen, I need a place to stay for a while. Is my old room still available?"  
"It is, and you are welcome to it," Professor X said. "For as long as you'd like."  
"Awesome." Tabitha tossed her bag to Lance. "Come on, carry my stuff."  
"What brings you here, Alvers?" Scott asked. "Or are you just Tabitha's personal bellboy?"  
"I'm here to see Kitty," Lance snapped.  
"Well, I don't know if that's such a good idea," Scott said.  
"It's alright, Scott," Professor X said. "This is a decision for Kitty to make herself." He turned to Tabitha and Lance. "I believe you'll be able to find her in Kurt's room. Do you remember where it is?"  
"Oh, yeah, I used to sneak out of Blue's room all the time," Tabitha said. The professor raised an eyebrow at her. "What? I'm twenty-years-old. That was years ago." Jean giggled. Tabitha was wreckless when she was a teenager, but she just had one of those personalities where you couldn't help but like her.  
Lance followed Tabitha up to her old room. She took her bag from him and flung it on the bed. Then she collapsed next to it.  
"God, I'm exhausted," she said with a yawn. She turned her head and looked at Lance. "I left my car at your house. Will it be okay?"  
"I don't know, honestly," Lance said. "But if something does happen to it, you have insurance, right?"  
"Are you kidding? With the way I drive? Insurance is a given."  
"So where's Kitty's room?"  
"A few doors down. But the prof said she was in Blue's room." Lance tensed up. "Come on, I'll show you." Tabitha grabbed his hand and pulled him towards Kurt's room. "Wait here," she whispered. Then she pounded on the door. She heard a muffled voice call, "Come in," and she must into the room.  
"Hey, Blue, didja miss me?" she asked with a grin.  
"Tabby!" Kurt leaped up and hugged her. Rogue and Kitty were in the room, too. Rogue threw an arm around Tabitha's shoulders and gave her a squeeze, being careful not to touch her. Kitty, who was lying on the bed, gave a gentle wave.  
"I heard what happened to you," Tabitha said, sitting on the bed beside Kitty. "Ouch."  
"Yeah, I didn't have time to phase," Kitty said.  
"Well, I brought something for ya." Tabitha turned towards the door. "Get in here!" Lance shyly poked his head through the door. He wasn't afraid, he just didn't really want to deal with Rogue and Kurt bitching.  
"What are you doing here?" Rogue demanded.  
"He came with me," Tabitha said. "He wants to visit with Kitty. Come on guys, you've _gotta_ at least give him that. He didn't mean for her to get shot. Tell me that you don't know that." Rogue sighed, annoyed. Kurt glared at Lance.  
"Come in," Kurt said finally. "If that's alright with you, Katzchen."  
"Yeah, it's fine," Kitty said. She looked at Lance. "Hey, you."  
"Hi, Kitty," he said softly. He glanced over at Tabitha, Rogue and Kurt. Tabitha immediately got the message.  
"Hey, why don't you guys show me the danger room," Tabitha suggested. "It _had_ to have changed over the years. Oh! Better yet, let's go find Badger. I'm sure he's missed me." She grabbed Kurt's arm with one hand and Rogue's with the other and led them out of the room, kick the door closed behind her.  
"We'll be right back!" Kurt yelled. Lance shook his head, and Kitty giggled.  
"Are you okay?" Kitty asked quietly after a minute. Lance stared at her in disbelief.  
"You're the one who got shot, and you're asking me if _I'm_ okay?"  
"Well, I don't imagine that was easy on you, either."  
"Kitty, I'm fine. I was just scared that you wouldn't be."  
"The bullet just got my shoulder."  
"It's still a bullet, no matter where it hit you."  
"Yeah...so when did Tabby get back in town?"  
"A little while ago. She stopped by the Brotherhood house, and I took her right over here. Didn't want anything to repeat." Kitty nodded.  
"So she's staying here for a while?"  
"Yeah. My house just isn't safe."  
"Where are you staying?"  
"I don't know yet. I may sleep in my jeep for a few nights. Or I'll go to a shelter or something. Just until I can get an apartment."  
"Lance, that's crazy."  
"Well, I can't stay at my house."  
"Stay here."  
"Kitty...don't you think our situation's dramatic enough without me moving into the same house and you and your boyfriend?"  
"Lance, this is a possible life-or-death situation. I know Kurt would understand."  
"No."  
"Lance, please. Don't be stubborn. Not about this."  
"I can't, Kitty. I didn't come here to argue with you."  
"It's almost like old times, isn't it?" Kitty tried to smile. Lance didn't smiled back.  
"I'm sorry, Kitty."  
"Lance..."  
"Maybe I should go."  
  
**NOTE:** Sorry I've been MIA for a while. I'm trying to get more out and I'm trying to write longer chapters. And I promise, Remy will be in the next chapter. Thanks so much for all the reviews!! 


	34. More Fighting, More Flirting

**Chapter Thirty-Four**  
  
Lance stood up. Kitty grabbed his arm.  
"Lance, don't go."  
"I have to go try to find a place to sleep tonight, Kitty. And I have to take Tabitha back to my house so she can get her car."  
"Kurt can port her over there."  
"Isn't that a little far?"  
"His teleporting has progressed over the past couple years."  
"Okay, well then is Blue Boy is taking care of her, then that just gives me more time to find a place to live."  
"Lance, you're being ridiculous. Why don't you just stay here?"  
"I just told you. It would get too crowded."  
"Lance, do you have any idea how many people used to live here? And besides, this place is huge, anyway."  
"That's not what I meant."  
"I know what you meant, Lance, and really, it's not a big deal."  
"Kitty..."  
"Lance. Please. I don't want what happened to me to happen to you. Or worse."  
"I can take care of myself."  
"That's what I always used to say."  
"I'm quicker with my powers than you are. I'm not afraid to use them in public."  
"Neither am I!"  
"I know, but you were trained not to let people see what you can do. I never cared if anyone knew that I was a mutant or not. Therein lies the difference."  
"Even if you shake the ground and they trip and drop their weapons, they'll eventually get to you, Lance. You could get really, really hurt. You could maybe even die."  
"That's a risk I'll have to take."  
"No, Lance, you don't have to take that risk. You're just being stubborn. This _so_ like you!"  
"What does _that_ mean?"  
"It means your stubborn. I thought that was kind of obvious."  
"Ooh, Kitty Kat's picked up some sarcasm. Rogue teach you that?"  
"Well, between sharing a room with Rogue and dating you and hanging around your friends, it was bound to catch up with me eventually."  
"Yeah, I was just the worst boyfriend in the world."  
"Well you sure as hell weren't winning any awards."  
"What do you want me to do, Kitty? Turn back time? Fine. I'll go find Forge and tell him to build me a time machine, and I will go back in time and I will fix everything."  
"And even then you'd probably find some way to screw things up."  
"Of course, I would, because that's what everyone has always expected of me. Even you! I was never good enough for you! From the day we met, you were always pushing me away. I was the one who tried to help you when you first found out what you were, Kitty!"  
"You tried to make me think like you! You tried to tell me that I was a freak!"  
"And then what happened? You blew me off, came to Bayville and immediately went after Blue Boy!"  
"That's is, like, _so_ not true! I was afraid of Kurt for a long time. In fact, the very first dance I went to at Bayville was with you! You were the first guy I officially dated for an extended period of time!"  
"Yeah, and the entire time we went out you were constantly talking about Kurt and how great he was, and how much you couldn't stand my friends."  
"You ignored me, canceled our plans, and would then hang out with Pietro and Tabitha!"  
"You canceled a few plans yourself for Rogue and Kurt!"  
"Yeah, but I didn't sleep with Kurt."  
"Yeah, not until a week after we broke up." Kitty's jaw dropped.  
"That is not true, and you know it."  
"Do I? Rumor around school was that the very day we broke up, you went directly to his bed."  
"_What?!_"  
"You heard me."  
"Who in the hell was saying that?!"  
"Everyone was saying that, Kitty."  
"That's not true, though!" Tears stung her eyes. She knew all this happened a long time ago, but it still hurt.  
"Whatever, Kitty."  
"It wasn't, Lance!"  
"Fine. I believe you."  
"Did everyone know that you slept with Tabitha and were dealing drugs, and that's why we broke up?"  
"As far as I know, no."  
"That's so unfair! You were the one who messed up! Why did I get the bad reputation?" Lance rolled his eyes.  
"High school politics, Kitty." She leaned back against her pillows. She was so angry. And the worst part was, it happened so long ago that she couldn't even do anything about it, short of calling everyone who was in Bayville High that year and setting them straight, but that was a little drastic.  
"So what now?" she asked.  
"What do you mean?"  
"This is exactly the way it used to be, Lance. I ask you to do something, something that's good for you, you reject me, and we fight. We're not together anymore, so it's not like we can break up again. So what do we do now?"  
"You let me leave and fend for myself."  
"_No._"  
"Kitty, knock it off. This is pointless." He turned to leave. Kitty sat up as fast as she could without hurting her shoulder and grabbed his hand.  
"Lance, if you leave here, you could die. I don't want you to die." He turned and looked at her. She looked so sincere and frail.  
"If I can't find a place, then I'll think about coming back." He leaned over and kissed her cheek, then walked out of her room.  
  
Tabitha looked around the danger room.  
"Wow, it hasn't changed at all. What's with that? Aren't you guys supposed to be really advanced with technology crap?"  
"Well, yeah, but the computers take care of that, not the actual room," Kurt told her.  
"Oh, right. Wonder if we can still do that exercise with the rocks...Wild Blue Yonder Boy." Tabitha grinned. Rogue hid a smile.  
"Chere? You down there?" Remy's voice called.  
"Yeah," Rogue called back. A door opened and Remy walked in.  
"Woah, who that?" Tabitha said in awe.  
"Remy LeBeau," Kurt said. "Gambit."  
"Wow." Tabitha let out a whistle. She glanced up at the ceiling, as thought about to talk to God. "Nice job on that one." She looked back at Remy, who was making his way towards them. As soon as he reached the three of them she walked right up to him. "Hi, I'm Tabitha, but everyone calls me Tabby." She flashed a smile. "Or Boom Boom." Remy took her hand and kissed it.  
"Enchante, cherie."  
"Tabby, he's sort of dating Rogue," Kurt hissed. Tabitha brushed Remy's cheek with her fingers, then walked back over to Kurt and rested her elbow on his shoulder. She gave Remy another good look.  
"Nice job, Rogue," she said. "Definitely sexy."  
"I like her," Remy said to Rogue. She gently punched his shoulder.  
"So you're dating? How does that work with your powers, Rogue?" Tabitha asked.  
"Well, it's painful," Rogue said.  
"I'll bet," Tabitha replied.  
Remy and Rogue explained the painful procedure that the professor and Forge had created for her. Tabitha cringed.  
"Ouch. Shock therapy? I thought that was for crazy people."  
"No, that's a different kind of shocks," Kurt said.  
"Where's Petite?" Remy asked suddenly.  
"Up in her room with Lance," Tabitha said.  
"The old boyfriend?" Remy asked. Rogue nodded. "Just making sure." Somehow, they managed to hear yelling. Lance and Kitty's yelling. It was followed by silence, then they could clearly hear the mansion's front door slam. The four of them looked at each other.  
"That's can't be good," Tabitha said softly. The next thing they heard was _bamf_. 


	35. Jumper

**NOTE:** I am so, so, so, so, so sorry you guys. I've been trying to write out a chapter or two for a while now, and (obviously) I haven't. I started a new job recently, and they've been keeping me busy. And then I had computer problems for a while. Then last night I wrote out a chapter that I was totally proud of, and then when I went to save it, my computer crapped out on me, and I lost it. And to make things worse, my Auto Recovery decided it didn't like me, so it didn't save a back-up or anything. So now I'm going to try to re-write the whole thing. I'm sure it won't be as good as what I originally wrote, but I'll just have to try, won't I? I just want to thank you guys for your incredible patience. I really am going to finish this story, I swear. It's just a matter of sitting down and actually doing it. Thank you so much for sticking around and leaving me reviews and everything. I really appreciate it. Now on to the next chapter.  
  
**Chapter Thirty-Five  
**  
Kurt appeared at Kitty's side. Her eyes looked kind of misty.  
"Are you okay, Katzchen?"  
"What? Oh, I'm fine, Kurt."  
"What happened?"  
"Nothing."  
"Kitty..."  
"I don't want to talk about it, okay?"  
"Okay..."  
"Kurt, I kind of want to be alone. Is that okay?"  
"Anything for you." He leaned over and kissed her forehead, then teleported out of the room.  
Kitty rolled over onto her right side, the side without the gunshot wound, and hugged her blankets to herself.  
How did they end up here? After they'd broken up they went through a period of time where they didn't speak, sure. But as soon as they got past that, they because very good friends. She'd even gone so far as to call him her best friend.  
So how did they end up being so far away from each other? Looking at Lance was almost like looking at a stranger.  
Kitty clutched her blanket tighter as tears spilled down her cheeks. She loved him. She'd always love him. _Why can't he just understand that I want what's best for him? Why does his pride always have to get in the way?  
_ Kitty closed her eyes. A nice, long nap was definitely in order.

Kurt teleported to the living room. Tabitha, Rogue and Remy and migrated there.  
"So if you ever end up there, order the Tabby," Tabitha was saying. "And ask them about how it got it name. They'll tell you the same story I just told you, and they'll show you my picture."  
"You are something else," Remy said shaking his head.  
"Oh, she's got a million stories like that," Rogue said.  
"It's true, I do," Tabitha agreed, batting her lashes.  
"What happened?" Rogue asked, noticing Kurt. Remy and Tabitha turned to look at him. Kurt sighed.  
"I don't know," he said. "Kitty didn't want to talk about it."  
"Fight with Lance, huh?" Tabitha nodded. "Yeah, it's just like old times, isn't it?"  
"What is that supposed to mean?" Kurt asked.  
"Well, remember how those two used to be?" Tabitha asked. "It was always make up/break up with those two. They've been crazy about each other since they day they met. Well, at least Lance was crazy about her. It was always a little harder with Kitty."  
"Meaning what, cherie?" Remy asked.  
"Just that Kitty has more layers than Lance. I mean, she's a girl, after all. Lance wore his feelings right there on his sleeve. If they got into a fight, Kitty could go into school ask ignore him for the entire day, acting like she was angry and wanted him to die or something, and then come back here and instead of jumping on her homework, she'd lie in her room and cry."  
"That's true," Rogue confirmed. "She did do that. A lot."  
"Right," Tabitha said. "I mean, don't get me wrong, Lance could play off like he didn't care about her either at school, but he would at least make the effort to try to talk to her while they were fighting. Or rather, he made a public effort. She made private efforts."  
"Yeah, well she had more class than Lance. She wanted to keep their relationship between the two of them rather than display it for the entire school to see, the way the whole Jean/Scott/Duncan/Taryn thing went down," Rogue reminded them.  
"Oh, that lasted all of, what, a year? Lance and Kitty were The Couple at Bayville High, even when Jean and Scott were still there," Tabitha said. "Everyone kept tabs on them, because no one thought they'd last. You know, the bad boy and the princess. Everyone was waiting for a 'Leader of the Pack' scenario to happen."  
"I hate that song," Rogue mumbled.  
"Anyway, Lance loved her the minute he set eyes on her," Tabitha continued. "And he still does. And now he's all broken up because he lost her, you know?"  
"Well, that's his own fault," Rogue retorted.  
"Sure, but everyone makes mistakes. Those two were so cute together."  
"Uh, Tabby," Rogue said, noticing the look on Kurt's face.  
"I mean, remember how sweet they were? She totally brought out the good in him. He needed her, and he still does."  
"Tabby—" Rogue tried again.  
"She just doesn't notice him anymore. She looks right through him, as if he's not even there."  
"Tabitha, I love reminiscing about the days of Lance and Kitty as much as the next person, but maybe we should take some other people's feelings into consideration. Example, Kitty's current boyfriend," Rogue nodded toward Kurt. Tabitha blushed.  
"Sorry, Blue. Lost my head for a minute. You know how I get."  
"Yeah, I do," Kurt said glumly. He slumped back against a chair.  
"Tabby, come with me for a minute. I have a great painting of you and Amara that you should look at," Rogue said. "And then we'll grab some drinks for everyone."  
"Cool," Tabitha said, slipping off her chair.She stopped by Kurt. "Listen, Blue, don't listen to me. What do I know about relationships, right? I'm an observer, after all."  
"Yeah, thanks," Kurt said. Tabitha squeezed his shoulder and followed Rogue out of the room. Kurt looked at Remy. "So what do I do now?"  
"Trust her, mon ami," Remy said. "Petite loves you. Remy can tell."  
"She has history with Lance," Kurt said. "A lot of history."  
"History don't always repeat itself."  
"But what if it does in this case?"  
"Do you really think that because Petite has a past with one person, it means she don't have a future with you?"  
"I don't even know anymore," Kurt groaned. Her buried his face in his hands. "I love her."  
"And she loves you. Just trust that."

Lance walked into the Brotherhood house. He hated fighting with Kitty. He always had. And what made it worse was he always ended up walking away from her. He knew he shouldn't, and he knew that by walking away he was hurting them both, but he did it anyway. He hated to hurt her.  
_Why do I do it?_ he thought. _Why can't I make her realize that I still love her? Why do I always have to hurt her?_  
He remembered that look in her eyes, a combination of disappointment, fear, concern, anger and sadness. She cared about him, and he kept pushing her away. His eyes began to sting, and two silent tears slipped down his cheeks. No one was around, so he didn't even bother to wipe them away.  
_I deserve this. I deserve to feel like this. I hurt her. She hurt me. She's moved on. She's with Blue Boy now. She'll never be with me again. She doesn't even want to._  
He climbed the stairs and into one of the rooms. He didn't even notice which one. He stared out the window and up at the sky. Memories of Kitty came flooding back to him. Their first meeting, their first date, their first kiss. He felt like a knife was turning itself over and over in his stomach and in his heart.  
_ I can't take this.  
_ Lance climbed out the window and pulled himself onto the roof. He looked down at the ground, then out at the sky.  
_ If I avalanche, the impact will be greater...I'll fall harder.  
_ He thought about writing a note. He decided against it. The only person who _might_ care would be Kitty, and she'd know why.  
_ This is it.  
_ Lance closed his eyes, and made a fist. The ground began to shake.

Jean had been taking a nap. She was dreaming. She felt and overwhelming amount of emotions. Mostly fear, misery and pain. A lot of pain.  
Suddenly, she sat straight up in bed, her green eyes wide.  
"Lance!" she cried out.


	36. Mixed Emotions

**Chapter Thirty-Six**  
  
Jean tore down the stairs, Scott following close behind.  
"Jean, what are you doing?" Scott tried to ask, but she ignored him. She burst into the living room. Tabitha and Rogue had rejoined Remy and Kurt, and all four of them turned to look at them.  
"Kurt! Teleport me to the Brotherhood house!" Jean cried spastically.  
"What? Why?" Kurt asked.  
"JUST DO IT!" Jean shouted.  
"Alright, alright!" Kurt had no idea what was going on, but it wasn't like Jean to yell like that. If she was yelling, there had to be an important reason. He grabbed her shoulder and teleported.  
"What in the hell was that all about?" Rogue asked to no one in particular.  
"Only one way to find out!" Tabitha was already half way out the door. They could hear Scott's car start. "Let's go! I've gotta pick up my car, anyway." Rogue and Remy looked at each other, then reluctantly followed Tabitha. They jumped into Scott's car, and Scott took off.  
  
The ground was shaking. It was time.  
Lance leaned forward and flung himself off the roof. He was in such a daze that he didn't even notice that Jean and Kurt had appeared.  
In the middle of his freefall, he suddenly stopped. It was as though he was just floating. He looked down and saw Jean, her fingers on her temples, and Blue Boy. Slowly, Jean lowered him to the ground.  
"Are you crazy?" Kurt asked. "You could've killed yourself!"  
"That was the idea," Lance said angrily. Scott, Rogue, Remy and Tabitha pulled up then. They all hopped out of the car. "So what, you got the entire X-Men team together for this? What do you care if I die, anyway?"  
"What?" Tabitha cried. She rushed over to Lance. "What're you talking about?"  
"We just stopped him from committing suicide," Jean said. "He tried to jump off the roof, but I caught him in time."  
"Alvers, what were you thinking?" Rogue asked, irritated.  
"I was thinking that you all need to get the hell out of here, and stay away from me," Lance snapped.  
"No, way," Scott said. "You're not staying here alone. Not when you're suicidal."  
"What possible difference could that make to you, Summers?" Lance shot back. "Doesn't that make your life easier? Me not being around?"  
"Are you kidding? We live with Kitty," Rogue said.  
"Kitty doesn't need me," Lance replied.  
"Doesn't matter, you're coming with us back to the mansion," Scott said. "Now, you can go willingly, or we can take you by force."  
"Meaning, what exactly?" Lance challenged.  
"Meaning I'll knock your ass out, and we'll drag your unconscious body back to the mansion," Rogue answered.  
"Well ,I was thinking more along the lines of Kurt teleporting him, but that works, too," Scott said.  
"Who said I would, anyway," Kurt mumbled under his breath. Only Tabitha heard him. She looked over at him.  
"Don't be like that, Blue," she said softly. "Not right now." Kurt rolled his eyes.  
"Fine, I'll go with you," lance said. "But only for a day, and then I'm out of there."  
"Come on, Lance, you lived with us longer than that before," Jean said.  
"Yeah, suck it up," Tabitha agreed. "Better alive and with all of us than alone and dead, right?"  
"Speak for yourself." Lance got into his jeep. "I'll meet you back there." He drove off.  
"Don't worry, I'll make sure he gets there," Tabitha said. She climbed into her car. "You coming, Blue?"  
"Sure, why not," Kurt said with a sigh. He 'ported into Tabitha's car, and they took off after Lance.  
"Come, I think we've had enough excitement for today," Jean said and the remaining four climbed back into Scott's car. "Let's go back home."  
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Rogue asked.  
"What?" Scott turned to look at her.  
"Someone has to tell Kitty about this."  
"I don't know if Petite has to know about this, chere," Remy said carefully. "Not after the past several days she's had. She's still recovering from a gunshot wound, after all."  
"Don't ya'll think she'll get a little suspicious when Lance just happens to be staying at the mansion?" Rogue retorted.  
"We'll just tell her that Lance changed his mind," Scott said.  
"Well, someone better tell Kurt and Tabby, then," Rogue replied with a shrug.  
"On it," Jean said. She telepathically contacted Kurt, and told him not to tell Kitty about Lance's suicide attempt. He responded by saying he'd pass the message on to Tabitha.  
"Okay, that's taken care of," Jean said. "So we're all in agreement. Kitty isn't to find out about what happened today." Remy, Rogue and Scott mumbled confirmation.  
Rogue stared out the window. She didn't like the idea of lying to Kitty. Sure, they'd had their differences in the years they've known each other, even more so this past summer, but this was something important. This was something that effected everyone in the mansion. She already knew Kurt was uncomfortable. Obviously Lance wasn't crazy about the idea of sleeping some place where his ex-girlfriend, whom he was still in love with, was sleeping down the hall with her current boyfriend. And that she was recovering from being shot, which, in a way, was his fault.  
"Don't worry about her, chere," Remy whispered. "Petite can handle anything that's thrown at her."  
"Well, obviously she can't, otherwise the bullet would've missed her," Rogue whispered back. Remy smiled.  
"That's not nice, chere."  
"Neither is the situation." Remy wrapped an arm over Rogue's shoulders.  
"Try not to worry. For me?" Rogue sighed.  
"Yeah, whatever." She leaned into Remy's arm and stared straight ahead. Then she sat up.  
"What's wrong, chere?"  
"Uh, did anyone tell _Lance_ not to tell Kitty about the whole jumper thing?"  
  
Lance stood over Kitty's bed. She looked so peaceful, sleeping quietly. He wanted to climb into her bed with her and hold her and kiss her, just like the way things used to be. He knew that both Kitty and Kurt would wring his neck if he did, though. Not to mention Summers and Logan ripping him apart.  
He pulled up a chair and sat beside the bed, watching her. He reached over and touched her cheek, then tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. He winced at the stitches in her shoulder. He wanted to forget about that day. He knew he'd never forgive himself for letting that happen to her.  
Kurt approached the door to his room. It was cracked slightly. He saw Lance in there. He wanted to kick him out, but from what he could see, Lance wasn't doing anything wrong. He decided to let him have a few minutes with Kitty. She was asleep, anyway. He retreated back to the others.  
Lance never even noticed. He leaned over and rested his head beside Kitty. Her eye lids fluttered. She slowly opened them and noticed Lance.  
"Hey," she said quietly. "What're you doing here?" Lance raised his head to look at her. He smiled.  
"Nothing. Go back to sleep. Or I can leave. Whichever."  
"No, I'm up." Kitty pulled herself up. Lance helped her. He didn't want her to hurt her shoulder. "Thanks." She smiled brightly. "So what're you doing here, really?"  
"I'm staying here for the night."  
"Really?"  
"Yeah."  
"Why?"  
"Do you not want me to?"  
"No, that came out wrong. What I meant was, what made you change your mind?"  
"Just...things."  
"What things?"  
"You don't want to know."  
"Lance, of course I do. I wouldn't have asked otherwise." Lance shook his head.  
"I don't think you're ready for this information, Kitty."  
"I can handle it. I'm strong."  
"I know you are. But this is something I don't really think you'd want to know about. You might cry."  
"I cry all the time." Lance stifled a laugh, but it didn't work very well.  
"You're the only person in the world who looks beautiful all the time, even when she cries."  
"You're just saying that to change the subject."  
"Trust me, Kitty, you don't want to know."  
"Trust me, Lance, I do." Lance sighed.  
"I tried to kill myself today." 


End file.
